The Deli Houmous — OKAY

Munch or Dump rates The Deli Houmous by The Deli OKAY — score 62/90.

Actual hummus — nearly half chickpeas, with real tahini, lemon and garlic doing the work. Aldi swapped the olive oil for cheap rapeseed and added potassium sorbate so 'deli' can survive weeks in a chiller cabinet. A decent everyday dip that's one preservative and one better oil short of great.

Why this verdict

• 48% cooked chickpeas plus 13% real tahini — the base is genuinely food, with fiber and plant protein
• Real lemon juice and garlic; no artificial colours or flavours anywhere on the list
• Rapeseed oil where traditional houmous uses olive oil — a cost decision, not a culinary one
• Potassium sorbate preservative buys weeks of shelf life at the expense of 'deli fresh'
• Genuinely balanced: whole-food positives against a refined oil and a preservative — the rare fair OKAY

Ingredients (8)

• Cooked Chickpeas (48%) (safe) — Whole legume, real fiber, plant protein and minerals.
• Water (safe) — Used as a basic ingredient in bread.
• rapeseed oil (safe) — A source of healthy fats and often used in cooking.
• Sesame Seed Paste (Tahini, 13%) (safe) — Ground sesame, healthy fats, calcium and minerals.
• Concentrated Lemon Juice (3%) (safe) — Natural acidulant for flavor.
• Garlic Puree (1%) (safe) — Real garlic, flavor and minor antioxidants.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• preservative potassium sorbate (moderate) — Synthetic preservative to stop mold; recognized safe but a processing marker.