Brown Sauce (Sainsbury's basics) — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Brown Sauce (Sainsbury's basics) by Sainsbury's basics ENGINEERED — score 30/90.

This isn't a sauce recipe, it's a construction project: water and sugar for the body, modified maize starch for the fake thickness, plain caramel for the fake brown. The tamarind that defines a real brown sauce shows up ninth, behind two vinegars and the thickener. It tastes like brown sauce because it was assembled to — not because anything brown-sauce-like went in.

Why this verdict

• Sugar is the second ingredient (12.2g/100g) plus cane molasses — a stacked sweetener system, not a seasoned condiment
• Modified maize starch provides the body that fruit and reduction would in a traditional brown sauce
• Plain caramel colour (E150a) supplies the signature brown — cosmetic colouring doing an ingredient's job
• NOVA 4 formulation: 17 ingredients led by water, sugar, and industrial starch
• Tamarind concentrate — the soul of brown sauce — sits ninth on the list, behind the salt

Ingredients (17)

• Water (safe) — Used as a basic ingredient in bread.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Malt Vinegar (Barley) (safe) — Simple acidulant for tang and preservation; contains gluten.
• Modified Maize Starch (moderate) — Industrial texturizer/thickener; a NOVA-4 marker that signals processing, not nutrition.
• Spirit Vinegar (safe) — Adds tang and helps preserve; negligible health impact.
• CANE MOLASSES (moderate) — A fourth sweetener source, adding to the total sugar load.
• Tomato Puree (safe) — Real tomato base, the legitimate heart of the soup.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Tamarind Concentrate (safe) — Natural souring agent from tamarind fruit.
• Colour: Plain Caramel (moderate) — Added colouring to fake a rich slow-cooked appearance.
• Ground Ginger (safe) — Dried spice; the third ginger source.
• Allspice (safe) — A whole spice used purely for flavor.
• GROUND BLACK PEPPER (safe) — Spice seasoning.
• Ground Cloves (safe) — Real spice, trace amount.
• GARLIC POWDER (safe) — Real seasoning.
• chilli powder (safe) — Natural heat and flavor.
• Ground Nutmeg (safe) — Whole spice for flavor.