Honey bbq sauce

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Honey bbq sauce receives a safety score of 75/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0855974003201
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 Tbsp (15 ml)

What the Data Says About

Honey bbq sauce carries a composite safety score of 75/100, which we classify as "Caution" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 3 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Honey bbq sauce is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Honey bbq sauce
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Distilled Vinegar
4
Tomato Paste
5
Soybean Oil
6
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
7
Invert Sugar
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back GRAS
8
Mustard
9
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Corn Starch
12
Chili Peppers
13
Honey
14
Less Than 1%: Egg Yolk
15
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
16
Fancy Molasses
17
Whey Powder
18
Spices
19
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
20
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
21
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
22
Curry Powder
23
Chickpea Flour
24
Yellow Mustard Seeds
25
Garlic Powder
26
Onion Powder
27
Soy Lecithin
28
Natural & Artificial Flavor
29
Yeast Extract
30
Msg
31
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
32
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
33
Disodium Inosinate & Guanylate
34
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
35
To Maintain Freshness: Sodium Benzoate
36
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
37
Disodium Edta

Full Ingredient List

Water, high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, tomato paste, soybean oil, corn syrup, invert sugar, mustard, sugar, salt, modified corn starch, chili peppers, honey, less than 1%: egg yolk, xanthan gum, fancy molasses, whey powder, spices, malic acid, citric acid, dried garlic, curry powder (spices, salt, chickpea flour, yellow mustard seeds, garlic powder, onion powder), soy lecithin, natural & artificial flavor, onion powder, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, polysorbate 80, acesulfame potassium, disodium inosinate & guanylate, caramel color, to maintain freshness: sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, disodium edta.

Categories

Condiments Sauces Groceries

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial