2.0 /10
5.5 /10
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce vs Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney
Decode Label-scored on the concerns that matter for Food — the facts from each label, side by side. We decode, you decide.
Pack images are shown to identify the products. Decode Label is independent of Ching's and is not sponsored or endorsed by it. Trademarks
What's different
- •Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce has 2.1× as much total sugar as Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney (17.1 g vs 8 g per 100 g/ml).
- •Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce has 3.6× as much sodium as Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney (8,043 mg vs 2,260 mg per 100 g/ml).
- •Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has about 60% more energy than Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce (176 kcal vs 110 kcal per 100 g/ml).
- •Only Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce lists the flagged ingredients Natural Colour and Preservative.
- •Only Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney lists the flagged ingredients Flavour Enhancer and Preservatives.
- •Only Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce lists the allergens Soy and Gluten.
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce
Not ahead on any concern we check.
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney
Fewer concerns on: Excess Sodium & Salt, Added & Hidden Sugar, Overall Nutritional Value
Scores: Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has the higher Decode Label score (5.5 vs 2.0). Which difference matters most depends on who is eating or using it — that's your call.
A higher score means fewer or lighter concerns found under Decode Label's published rules. It is not a medical "safe", and a lower score does not establish that a product is unsafe.
Safety Score
A dark soy sauce with very high sodium and sugar content, and undisclosed additives.
Safety Score
A Schezwan chutney with lower sodium and sugar than the soy sauce, but includes cotton seed oil and undisclosed additives.
Side by side
What each label says. Nutrition is per 100 g (or ml) so pack and serving sizes don't skew it.
Check the pack for "may contain" warnings if you have an allergy.
Brands choose their own serving sizes, so compare the per-100 figures above.
What these labels can't tell us
- How much of each ingredient is in the product — labels list order, not amounts.
- Cross-contact on the factory line beyond any "may contain" warning, and batch-to-batch variation.
- Anything a laboratory test would find — Decode Label reads labels; it does not test products.
Concern match
A separate lens from the overall Safety Score above — how well each product suits a specific concern, not an overall verdict. Each concern is scored 0–10: higher means less of that concern (5 ≈ neutral).
What matters most to you?
For , scores higher ( vs ). This is only a per-concern fit lens — it doesn't change the overall safety score, where still has the higher score.
For , the two are evenly matched. The overall safety verdict is unchanged.
This one is read from the two ingredient lists rather than measured by the Decode Label engine — useful for choosing, but it is not a safety finding.
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney scores higher due to its significantly lower sodium content per 100g (2260 mg) compared to Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce (8042.86 mg), with salt being a primary ingredient in both.
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney is rated higher as it contains less sugar per 100g (8g) compared to Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce (17.14g), with sugar listed as a high-concentration ingredient in both.
Both products are considered similar in this regard, as both contain sugar and undisclosed additives like thickeners, acidity regulators, and preservatives, indicating a comparable level of processing.
Both products are considered similar as Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce lists 'Natural Colour' and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney lists 'Natural Flavouring Substances', neither explicitly indicating artificial colours or dyes.
Both products are considered similar because Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce does not list a flavour enhancer, while Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney explicitly lists 'Flavour Enhancer' without specifying MSG.
Both products are considered similar as neither Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce nor Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney list any artificial sweeteners in their ingredients.
Both products are considered similar as both Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney list 'Preservative' and 'Acidity Regulator' without further disclosure of the specific substances.
Both products are considered similar in their protein content, with Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce containing 2.86g per 100g and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney containing 2.2g per 100g, and neither explicitly lists fibre.
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney offers a higher overall nutritional value due to its lower sodium and sugar content per 100g compared to Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce.
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce
In its favour, from the label
- Contains soybeans and wheat as primary ingredients.
Label findings to note
- Very high sodium per serving
- Contains ammonia caramel colour (E150c/d) — which can generate 4-MEI during manufacture — IARC classifies 4-MEI as Group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans); this label does not state its concentration
- Highly processed (NOVA) and high total sugar
- Colour, acidity regulator, preservative not disclosed — 3 additive classes are named without saying which substances they are
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney
In its favour, from the label
- Significantly lower sodium content (2260 mg/100g) compared to the soy sauce.
- Lower sugar content (8g/100g) compared to the soy sauce.
- Contains a variety of spices like chilli, garlic, onion, ginger, white pepper, and Schezwan pepper.
Label findings to note
- Flavouring not disclosed — the label does not say which substance this is
- Thickener, acidity regulator, preservatives not disclosed — 4 additive classes are named without saying which substances they are
- Contains cotton seed oil as a primary ingredient.
- Undisclosed 'Thickener', 'Acidity Regulator', 'Flavour Enhancer', and 'Preservatives'.
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce vs Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney — frequently asked questions
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has less per 100 g/ml. Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce has 17.1 g and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has 8 g of total sugar per 100 g/ml.
They are about the same. Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce has 2.9 g and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has 2.2 g of protein per 100 g/ml.
Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has less per 100 g/ml. Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce has 8,043 mg and Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney has 2,260 mg of sodium per 100 g/ml.
Decode Label rates both as ultra-processed, from their ingredient lists.
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce's ingredient list includes Soy and Gluten. No allergen is named in Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney's ingredient list. Check each pack for "may contain" warnings if you have an allergy.
Ching’s Secret Dark Soy Sauce lists Natural Colour and Preservative. Ching’s Secret Schezwan Chutney lists Flavour Enhancer and Preservatives.
Flagged ingredients in this comparison
Who classified each one, its regulation, and how common it is across the catalogue.
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Comparison generated by Decode Label from each product's listed ingredients. Every score and flagged finding comes from Decode Label's rules engine; the explanations are written with AI and cannot change a score. Always read the actual label.