Brown Sauce (Sainsbury's basics) — ENGINEERED

Name: Brown Sauce (Sainsbury's basics)
Brand: Sainsbury's basics

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

A budget brown sauce where sugar is the #2 ingredient, thickened with modified maize starch and tinted with caramel colour. It's a NOVA-4 processed condiment built for sweet-tangy palatability, not nutrition.

Why this verdict

Sugar is the #2 ingredient, ahead of any real food
Modified maize starch does the thickening instead of cooked fruit
Caramel colour fakes a slow-cooked look
Salt plus two vinegars make it sharp and salty
NOVA-4 ultra-processed condiment, 18 ingredients

Ingredients (17)

Water (safe) — Inert; just adjusts texture.
Sugar (concerning) — Added refined sugar, listed high - spikes blood sugar with no nutrition.
Malt Vinegar (Barley) (safe) — Traditional acidifier and flavour; contains gluten from barley.
Modified Maize Starch (moderate) — Chemically/physically altered starch used as an industrial thickener — a hallmark of ultra-processed food.
Spirit Vinegar (safe) — Simple acid for tang and shelf stability.
CANE MOLASSES (moderate) — Another sugar source for colour and depth; adds to the total sugar load.
Tomato Puree (safe) — Concentrated tomato, just thickens and intensifies, no concern.
Salt (moderate) — Added sodium for flavour.
Tamarind Concentrate (safe) — Traditional tangy fruit base for brown sauce, in small amount.
Colour: Plain Caramel (moderate) — Added colouring to fake a rich slow-cooked appearance.
Ground Ginger (safe) — Spice, benign.
Allspice (safe) — Real spice, core to jerk flavor.
GROUND BLACK PEPPER (safe) — Real spice, trace amount.
Ground Cloves (safe) — Real spice, trace amount.
GARLIC POWDER (safe) — Dried aromatic; fine.
chilli powder (safe) — Spice for the masala kick; benign.
Ground Nutmeg (safe) — Real spice, trace amount.