Chi Chi’s Salsa

Rated at 2/5 green leaves, the Chi Chi’s Salsa Black Bean & Corn Salsa Mild falls short of the cleaner food options championed by our website. The product is non-organic and includes genetically modified organisms (GMOs), factors that significantly decrease its score. Additionally, the presence of citric acid, which is counted as an added sugar, along with the inclusion of natural flavor and sodium benzoate, detracts from its overall healthfulness.

The salsa’s ingredient list features common items such as tomatoes, water, and concentrated crushed tomatoes. However, it also contains black beans and corn, which are nutritious in their natural state but are not sourced from organic or non-GMO verified produce in this product. The inclusion of jalapeno peppers, onions, and carrots adds to the vegetable content, but the product’s health benefits are overshadowed by the presence of additives.

Citric acid, while naturally occurring in citrus fruits, is often used as a preservative or to add a sour taste to foods and is considered an added sugar when used in this context. The term ‘natural flavor’ is broad and can encompass a range of substances, some of which may not be as natural as the term implies. More concerning is sodium benzoate, a preservative known to cause health issues when combined with ascorbic acid to form benzene, a carcinogenic substance.

Chi Chi’s Salsa Black Bean & Corn Salsa Mild does not align with the standards of those seeking clean eating options. The product’s reliance on non-organic ingredients, GMOs, added sugars, and potentially harmful additives are the main reasons for its low rating. For a product to be considered cleaner and healthier, it would need to eliminate these negative elements and focus on organic, non-GMO, and additive-free ingredients.