Chi Chi’s Salsa

Rated at 3 out of 5 green leaves, the Chi Chi’s Salsa Fiesta Style Chile Tomatillo Verde Salsa Medium offers a middle-of-the-road option for those seeking cleaner food products. This particular salsa does not boast an organic label, nor does it claim to use non-GMO ingredients, which are factors that detract from its overall green leaf rating. Additionally, the inclusion of citric acid as an added sugar and xanthan gum as a potentially harmful additive further impacts its score.

The ingredient list for this salsa features green chile peppers, tomatillos, water, onions, and jalapeño peppers, which are common in many salsas and appreciated for their natural flavors. However, the presence of less than 2% of salt, citric acid, cilantro, dehydrated garlic, lime juice concentrate, spice, smoked paprika, and xanthan gum contributes to the product’s deductions. The citric acid, while commonly used as a preservative, counts as an added sugar in this scoring system. Xanthan gum, a stabilizer that ensures the salsa maintains a consistent texture, is viewed as a potentially harmful additive within this evaluation framework.

This salsa is positioned as an average choice within the market. It does not rise to the top tier of health-conscious options due to its lack of organic and non-GMO credentials, as well as the inclusion of certain ingredients that have been flagged by the scoring system. Nevertheless, it avoids the lowest rating by not containing a multitude of negative ingredients and additives.

For consumers focused on finding cleaner food products, this Chi Chi’s salsa may serve as a compromise when other, more highly-rated options are unavailable. It stands as a middle-ground selection, providing a product that steers clear of the most severe deductions while not fully embracing the qualities of the highest-rated clean food items.