GoodSwap Get notified
Food Life Balanced Chili with Beans ready to eat
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Stews

Food Life Balanced Chili with Beans ready to eat

425 g

Poor out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • No synthetic dyes
  • Contains whole grains
Get GoodSwap

Why it scores 27

Food Life Balanced Chili with Beans ready to eat scores 27 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Caramel color: The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. Regulatory
  2. Brown sugar: 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 chili

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

The Receipt

Chili with Beans ready to eat

START100

Ingredients

  • 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. [1][2][3][4]
  • Brown sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [5][6][7]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [5][6][7]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: anti-caking agent, color (added), industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and modified starch. [8]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 0.4 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some salt. [9]
  • Fiber 4.2 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [6]
subtotal+1
TOTAL 27Poor

100 − 73 = 27

Can’t score above 79. Contains caramel color, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

GTIN 00810085410249 · 2024-09-25

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy110 kcal
Fat2.1 g
Saturated fat0.8 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates17.4 g
Sugars1.7 g
Fiber4.2 g
Protein5.9 g
Salt0.4 g

Serving: 1.0 cup (236.0 g)

Ingredients

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

water, seasoned beef crumbles (beef, water, textured soy flour, salt, caramel color), pinto beans, kidney beans, tomato paste, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of: chil powder (chili pepper and other spices, salt, dehydrated garlic, silicon dioxide) onion, whole grain oats, brown sugar (cane sugar, cane syrup), garlic powder spice, contains: soy

Allergens and diets

Contains: Soy, Gluten

  • Not vegan
  • Not vegetarian
  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest stews in the US

Sources

  1. 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

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

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

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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