Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce ultra-processed?

10 oz (283 g) Sauces Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 11 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed sauces

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

jalapeño peppers, canola oil, onion, salt, cane sugar, gum arabic, onion, garlic, citric acid (acidifier), spice

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E414 Acacia gum

As written on the pack

JALAPEÑO PEPPERS, CANOLA OIL, ONION, SALT, CANE SUGAR, GUM ARABIC, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, CITRIC ACID (ACIDIFIER), SPICE

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
2 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 2,962 sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1596th. 60% of the sauces here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 2,962 sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00602167, last edited 24 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.