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Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Barbecue sauces

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy Barbecue Sauce

18 oz

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in sugar
  • High in salt
  • Contains added sugars
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 6

Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy Barbecue Sauce scores 6 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. High fructose corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better barbecue sauce

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Sweet 'n Spicy Barbecue Sauce

START100

Ingredients

  • High fructose corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3][4]
  • Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener)
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Caramel color
    Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [5][6][7][8]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [9]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and modified starch. [9]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 41.7 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Salt 2 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in salt. [10]
  • Energy 194 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
subtotal−22
TOTAL 6Bad

100 − 94.5 = 5.5 → 6

Can’t score above 79. Contains high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Can’t score above 79. High in sugars and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]

GTIN 00013409351000 · 2026-06-06

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy194 kcal
Fat0 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates47.2 g
Sugars41.7 g
Added sugars38.9 g
Fiber0 g
Protein0 g
Salt2 g

Serving: 2 tbsp (36 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DISTILLED VINEGAR, TOMATO PASTE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR, SPICE, CARAMEL COLOR, MOLASSES, JALAPENO PEPPER, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), GARLIC, MUSTARD FLOUR, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVOR, TAMARIND, CELERY SEED.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Mustard, Celery

  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest barbecue sauces in the US

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. 21 CFR 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Mar 24, 2023 · Law

    “a sweet, nutritive saccharide mixture containing either approximately 42 or 55 percent fructose”

    ecfr.gov

  5. Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

    “Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

    fda.gov

  6. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  7. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  8. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  9. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  10. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

    who.int

  11. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  12. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  13. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org