Ching's SecretSauces & Ketchup#8 of 23 in categoryRating 2.3/5

Ching's Secret Red Chilli Sauce

Red flags

  • Red flag: High added sugar (20g per 100g)
  • Red flag: High sodium (1104mg per 100g)
  • Red flag: Contains Sodium Benzoate

Green flags

Nothing stands out in its favour.

Ingredients, decoded

10 listed
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Red Chilli (6%)
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Iodised Salt
  • Thickener (INS 1422)
  • Acidity Regulators (INS 260, INS 330)
  • Emulsifying and Stabilizing Agent (INS 415)
  • Preservative (INS 211)
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

EB4

Nutrition per 100 g
ENutritionBIngredients4Risk
VerdictPOOR
Energy113 kcal
Protein0.4 g
Carbohydrates27.4 g
Total sugars24.7 g
Added sugars20 g
Total fat0.2 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Sodium1104 mg
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

A chilli sauce where sugar outweighs the chilli

Ching's Secret Red Chilli Sauce is water, sugar, red chilli (6%), garlic, ginger and salt, thickened with modified starch (INS 1422) and xanthan gum and preserved with sodium benzoate.

CleanPlate scores it EB4. The E for nutrition is low: almost no credited protein, fibre or micronutrients per 100 g. The B for ingredients reflects a mix of whole and refined ingredients (led by sugar, red chilli and garlic), with additives that cost points: acetylated distarch adipate and xanthan gum. The 4 for risk comes mainly from sodium (1104 mg per 100 g) and free sugar (20 g per 100 g).

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

  • Product name

    “Red Chilli Sauce”

    Holds

    Red chilli is declared at 6%; garlic and ginger are also listed.

How EB4 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
E

Very low nutrient density

Protein
0.4 g
Fibre
Not declared
Vitamins and minerals
None declared
Energy
113 kcal

Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
B

Good, few concerning additives

Base
Water
Sweeteners
Sugar
Additives
5
Flagged
Sodium Benzoate

Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
4

High risk

Added sugar
20 g
Sodium
1104 mg

Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

Water, sugar, red chilli 6%, garlic, ginger, iodised salt, thickener (INS 1422), acidity regulators (INS 260, 330), emulsifying and stabilising agent (INS 415) and preservative (INS 211).

Per 100 g: 113 kcal, 0.2 g fat, 24.7 g sugar of which 20 g added, 0.4 g protein, 1104 mg sodium. The panel has no saturated fat, trans fat or fibre line although total fat is 0.2 g; that costs 4 label points and makes the score provisional. The unit field says 200 g and the net weight 350 g (200 g used).

Ingredients to watch

  • Added sugarConcern

    20 g per 100 g, more than three times the chilli.

  • SodiumConcern

    1104 mg per 100 g.

  • Modified starch and xanthanWorth watching

    INS 1422 and INS 415 are thickeners that cost 2 points each.

  • Real garlic, ginger and chilliFine

    All three are in the list, with the chilli percentage declared.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "A chilli sauce is just chilli"

Sugar is the second ingredient and added sugar is 20 g per 100 g.

Myth: "A little sauce is nothing"

A level teaspoon is small, but the 1104 mg of sodium per 100 g adds up when you use several spoons.

How often, and how

  • Healthy adultsOccasionally
  • ChildrenRarely
  • Diabetes or prediabetesLimit

Smarter ways to eat it

Dilute it

Mix a spoon with fresh garlic and lemon to stretch the flavour.

Fresh chilli

Chopped fresh or dried red chilli adds heat with no sugar.

Common questions

Is Ching's Secret Red Chilli Sauce healthy?

Ching's Secret Red Chilli Sauce scores EB4 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High added sugar (20g per 100g); High sodium (1104mg per 100g); Contains Sodium Benzoate.

What does the EB4 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (B) grades ingredient and label integrity: good, few concerning additives. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.

Which ingredients in Ching's Secret Red Chilli Sauce should I watch?

Preservative (INS 211) (Sodium Benzoate).

Last reviewed October 9, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

Better Sauces & Ketchup

All 23 →