MasterChow Sauces & Ketchup#15 of 23 in categoryRating 2.3/5

MasterChow Sichuan Chilli Oil

Red flags

Red flag: High sodium (970mg per 100g)
Red flag: Contains trans fat (1g)

Green flags

Nothing stands out in its favour.

Ingredients, decoded

10 listed

Refined Sunflower Oil
Red Chilli
Garlic
Onion
Celery
Soy Sauce
Iodised Salt
Refined Sugar
Mixed Spices and Condiments
Flavour Enhancer (INS635)

ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

EB4

Nutrition per 100 g

ENutritionBIngredients4Risk

VerdictPOOR

Energy421 kcal

Protein3.1 g

Carbohydrates12.6 g

Total sugars2.5 g

Added sugars2.5 g

Total fat39.8 g

Saturated fat4 g

Trans fat1 g

Cholesterol0 mg

Sodium970 mg

Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

A chilli oil that is mostly oil

MasterChow Sichuan Chilli Oil is a 170 g jar of refined sunflower oil with red chilli, garlic, onion, celery, soy sauce, salt, sugar, mixed spices and the flavour enhancer 635. The panel is per 100 g.

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 refined sunflower oil, red chilli and garlic), with additives that cost points: a flavour enhancer. The 4 for risk comes mainly from sodium (970 mg per 100 g) and trans fat (1 g per 100 g).

Claims vs reality

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

On the pack
“Sichuan Chilli”
Partly true
No Sichuan pepper is named on the list; spices are grouped as mixed spices and condiments.
On the pack
“We use Lite Sunflower Oil”
Be careful
The base is refined sunflower oil at 39.8 g of fat per 100 g; "lite" is not a defined term.

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

Very low nutrient density

Protein: 3.1 g
Fibre: Not declared
Vitamins and minerals: None declared
Energy: 421 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

Good, few concerning additives

Base: Refined Sunflower Oil
Main fat: Refined Sunflower Oil
Sweeteners: Refined Sugar
Additives: 0
Flagged: None

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

High risk

Added sugar: 2.5 g
Sodium: 970 mg
Saturated fat: 4 g
Trans fat: 1 g

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?

Refined sunflower oil, red chilli, garlic, onion, celery, soy sauce, iodised salt, refined sugar, mixed spices and condiments and flavour enhancer (635); no shares are declared.

Per 100 g: 421 kcal, 39.8 g fat of which 4 g saturated, 2.5 g sugar of which 2.5 g added, 3.1 g protein, 970 mg sodium. The retailer listing's ingredient and nutrition text describes a different version; the pack panel is used.

Ingredients to watch

Fat and energyConcern
39.8 g fat and 421 kcal per 100 g.
Trans fatWorth watching
The panel declares 1 g of trans fat per 100 g.
Flavour enhancerWorth watching
INS 635 costs points on the additive scale.
Real aromaticsFine
Chilli, garlic, onion and celery are listed; sodium is a moderate 970 mg per 100 g.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "Chilli oil is just spice"

It is 39.8 g of oil per 100 g; the oil is the main ingredient.

Myth: "A little is nothing"

The pack's 8 g teaspoon serving carries about 3.2 g of fat and 34 kcal.

How often, and how

Healthy adultsOccasionally
ChildrenRarely
Diabetes or prediabetesLimit

Smarter ways to eat it

Drizzle by the teaspoon

A teaspoon on noodles or eggs is enough heat.

Chilli flakes

Dry chilli flakes in warm oil at home give the heat with less oil.

Common questions

Is MasterChow Sichuan Chilli Oil healthy?

MasterChow Sichuan Chilli Oil scores EB4 (Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it best kept as a rare treat rather than a regular buy. The main concerns are: High sodium (970mg per 100g); Contains trans fat (1g).

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.

Last reviewed October 11, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

Better Sauces & Ketchup

All 23 →