Cheeses
Melinda's Black Truffle Hot Sauce
12 fl oz/355 mL
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
Why it scores 26
Melinda's Black Truffle Hot Sauce scores 26 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Honey: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points 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 hot sauce
-
Black Truffle Infused Hot Sauce Truff · 43 g Not ultra-processed · No seed oils Score 70 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Black Truffle Infused Olive Oil Truff · 6 fl oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 53 points higher -
Sriracha Hot Sauce Yellowbird · 9.8 oz/278 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 78 out of 100 , 52 points higher -
PERi PERi Sauce - Medium Nando's PERi-PERi · 9.2 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 78 out of 100 , 52 points higher -
Peri-Peri Sauce Nando's · 9.2 oz/260 g No added sugars · No sugar Score 66 out of 100 , 40 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Black Truffle Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Honey minus 20 points
- Vegetable oil (unspecified) minus 2.5 points
- Xanthan gum minus 1.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 1.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 2 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 1.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Salt 5 g / 100 g minus 9 points
100 − 74 = 26
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 100 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 13 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Added sugars | 3.2 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Salt | 5 g |
Serving: 1 Tsp (5 g)
Ingredients
- CAYENNE PEPPER MASH
- WHITE VINEGAR
- WATER
- CANOLA VEGETABLE OIL
- FRESH GARLIC
- CANE SUGAR (high concern)
- XANTHAN GUM
- SALT
- CITRIC ACID
- NATURAL FLAVORS (TRUFFLE ONION POWDER, HONEY, GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE, SUMMER BLACK TRUFFLE (TUBER AESTIVUM), SALT, NATURAL BUTTER)
- BLACK TRUFFLE FROM ITALY (BLACK TRUFFLE JUICE, FLAVOR (TRUFFLE), VEGETABLE FIBER)
Label text, as published
CAYENNE PEPPER MASH, WHITE VINEGAR, WATER, CANOLA VEGETABLE OIL, FRESH GARLIC, CANE SUGAR, XANTHAN GUM, SALT, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS (TRUFFLE ONION POWDER, HONEY, GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE, SUMMER BLACK TRUFFLE (TUBER AESTIVUM), SALT, NATURAL BUTTER), BLACK TRUFFLE FROM ITALY [BLACK TRUFFLE JUICE, FLAVOR (TRUFFLE), VEGETABLE FIBER].
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk
- Not vegan
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More cheeses on GoodSwap
-
Light Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges The Laughing Cow · 8 × 19 g Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Low Fat Cottage Cheese Darigold · 113 g Ultra-processedContains emulsifiers studied for gut effectsMay contain traces of 1,4-dioxane Score 57 out of 100 Okay -
String Cheese Frigo Cheese Heads · 28 g High in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 Good -
Cheddar Shells Banza · 5.5 oz/156 g Ultra-processedHigh in saltSeed-oil freeNo synthetic dyes Score 71 out of 100 Good -
just like COLBY JACK SHREDS Violife · 8 oz Ultra-processedHigh in saturated fatContains seed oilsNo synthetic dyes Score 63 out of 100 Good -
Tillamook Pepper Jack Tillamook · 8 oz High in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 Good
More from Melinda's
-
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Melinda's · 12 fl oz/355 mL Score 40 out of 100 Okay -
Creamy Style Ghost Pepper Wing Sauce and Condiment Melinda's · 12 fl oz Score 64 out of 100 Good -
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Melinda's · 12 fl oz Score 38 out of 100 Poor -
Fire Roasted Garlic & Habanero Sauce Melinda's · 12 fl oz/355 mL Score 71 out of 100 Good
Sources
-
Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“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
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“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