Healthy Food Guide by KarbCoach

Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce: Longevity analysis

Updated 2026-10-22 · Trader Joe's

Quick answer

Limit Frequency

Trader Joe's hoisin sauce received a Longevity Score of 52 out of 100 (limit frequency). Flavorful condiment with real soy and sesame, but high in added sugar and sodium for a single serving. Strengths include fermented soybean paste adds whole-food base, black sesame paste provides some seed-based content, and short, recognizable ingredient list overall, while main considerations include added sugar is high at 17g per serving, sodium is high at 860mg per serving, and modified tapioca starch and xanthan gum.

Longevity Score 52/100

What helped the score?

  • Fermented soybean paste adds whole-food base
  • Black sesame paste provides some seed-based content
  • Short, recognizable ingredient list overall

What held the score back?

  • Added sugar is high at 17g per serving
  • Sodium is high at 860mg per serving
  • Contains modified tapioca starch and xanthan gum

You are viewing the nutrition and longevity perspective. Switch to Food Integrity for ingredients and processing.

Source data, GTIN, and Healthy Food Guide analysis details

Product facts

Product
Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce
Category
Condiments & Sauces (source: Condiments)
GTIN / UPC
00000000782975
Serving size
36 g (36 g)
Source data — ingredients
Ingredient list from product label data (see Sources)
Healthy Food Guide analysis
Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards. See methodology under Sources.
Data last verified

Trader Joe's

Hoisin Sauce

Limit Frequency

KarbCoach Recommendation

Limit Frequency

Flavorful condiment with real soy and sesame, but high in added sugar and sodium for a single serving.

What Stands Out

High Sodium

860mg sodium

37% DV

High Added Sugar

17g added sugar

34% DV

Added Sweetener

Brown sugar

Whole Foods

Fermented soybean paste, Black…

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Key Positives

  • Fermented soybean paste adds whole-food base
  • Black sesame paste provides some seed-based content
  • Short, recognizable ingredient list overall
  • Small per-serving amount limits overall load

Key Concerns

  • Added sugar is high at 17g per serving
  • Sodium is high at 860mg per serving
  • Contains modified tapioca starch and xanthan gum
  • Little protein or fiber per serving

Ingredient Signals

Whole-food ingredients

Fermented soybean pasteBlack sesame seeds

Processing signals

Modified tapioca starchCitric acid acidifierXanthan gum thickener

Additives

Citric acidXanthan gumModified tapioca starch

Added sweeteners

Brown sugarMolasses

Ingredients

Ingredient list

BROWN SUGAR, WATER, FERMENTED SOYBEAN PASTE (SOYBEAN, RICE, SALT), SALT, BLACK SESAME PASTE (BLACK SESAME SEEDS), DISTILLED VINEGAR, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, MOLASSES, GARLIC, CITRIC ACID (ACIDIFIER), SEASONING BLEND (BLACK PEPPER, CINNAMON, STAR ANISE, CUMIN, CORIANDER SEED, SZECHUAN PEPPER, CARDAMOM), GARLIC POWDER, CHILI POWDER, XANTHAN GUM

Formulations can vary — check the package label for the final word.

Macronutrients

Calories

90

5% DV

Total Carbs

19g

7% DV

Protein

0.5g

1% DV

Net Carbs

19g

7% DV

Sugar

17g

Added Sugar

17g

34% DV

Total Fat

1g

1% DV

Sodium

860mg

37% DV

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Nutrition at a Glance

Nutrition at a Glance
NutrientAmount% Daily Value
Calories905% DV
Total Carbs19g7% DV
Protein0.5g1% DV
Net Carbs19g7% DV
Sugar17g—
Added Sugar17g34% DV
Total Fat1g1% DV
Sodium860mg37% DV

DV = Percent of Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Amounts are per labeled serving from source data. Check the package for the final values.

Longevity scores estimate how this product’s nutrition and ingredient profile fit longer-term eating patterns. Formulations can vary — check the package label. Not medical advice. Some nutrient values may be estimated when the label is incomplete.

How this product may fit different goals

The same food can look different depending on what matters most to you. Here is a general preview of how this product may align with several common goals.

  • Low-Spike Stability

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low-Spike Stability, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Higher sugar (17g)

    This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Heart-Healthy Eating

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Heart-Healthy Eating, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Higher sodium (860mg)

    See more for this goal

  • GLP-1 Eating Support

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing GLP-1 Eating Support, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Lower protein (0.5g)

    This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Low Sugar Lifestyle

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low Sugar Lifestyle, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Higher sugar (17g)

    This product has 2 additional signals for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Appetite & Portion Awareness

    Mixed

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Appetite & Portion Awareness, the same nutrition and ingredient data show both supportive signals and tradeoffs.

    A tradeoff: Higher sugar (17g)

    This product has 1 additional signal for this goal.

    See more for this goal

  • Athletic Fueling

    Watch-outs

    Athletic Performance

    For someone prioritizing Athletic Fueling, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Carbohydrate is almost entirely sugar (17g of 19g carbs)

    See more for this goal

See how this product fits your goals

Choose what matters most to you and explore a more detailed interpretation of this product's nutrition, ingredients, and tradeoffs.

Personalize this analysis

Understanding the Longevity analysis

What the Longevity analysis evaluates

The Longevity analysis looks at how a food fits broader dietary patterns over time. It combines nutritional composition with processing and ingredient-quality considerations, including ideas that originated in Meal Power Points and Food Integrity. The Longevity Score summarizes that wider picture on a 0–100 scale. It is educational context for packaged foods, not medical advice and not a guarantee of health outcomes.

Nutrients, balance, processing, and ingredients

Nutritional composition matters: protein, fiber, carbohydrates, glucose-related characteristics, fats, sodium, and micronutrients all influence how a food may support or challenge different dietary goals. Processing level and ingredient quality still count, because formulation can change the practical meaning of an otherwise tidy nutrient panel. Longevity treats those dimensions together rather than as a single nutrient number.

Who may prioritize Longevity

People following low-carbohydrate, keto-style, high-protein, glucose-conscious, or longevity-focused eating patterns often start with the Longevity analysis. It is also useful when you want one place that connects macros and micros with how processed the food is and how the ingredient list reads. The Longevity Score is designed for that broader comparison across products.

How Longevity differs from Food Integrity

Food Integrity is the focused analysis of processing, ingredients, additives, purity, and transparency. Longevity is the broader analysis of nutritional composition, metabolic and dietary characteristics, processing, and ingredient quality. A strong nutritional profile may still deserve closer Food Integrity review when additives, oils, sweeteners, or processing level raise questions the nutrient panel does not answer on its own.

Why the analyses overlap—and why to review both

The overlap is intentional. Food Integrity–related characteristics contribute to Longevity, while Food Integrity remains separately useful for deeper formulation detail. The two views are meant to complement each other, not cancel each other out. Some people reasonably prioritize one analysis based on their goals; reviewing both can reveal tradeoffs that one score alone may not show.

Common questions about this product

Is Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce highly processed?

Food Integrity lists processing level as Moderately processed. That reflects formulation and processing signals from the ingredient analysis — not a medical or regulatory classification.

Why are the Longevity and Food Integrity scores different?

Longevity emphasizes nutrition per serving and longer-term dietary alignment. Food Integrity emphasizes ingredients, additives, processing, and label transparency. The same product can score differently on those lenses.

Does it contain added sugar?

Trader Joe's Hoisin Sauce: 17g added sugar per serving; sweetener signals include Brown sugar, Molasses. Confirm the current package Nutrition Facts and ingredient list.

What helped the Longevity Score?

Key positives called out in the analysis include: Fermented soybean paste adds whole-food base; Black sesame paste provides some seed-based content; Short, recognizable ingredient list overall.

What prevented a perfect Longevity Score?

Key concerns noted include: Added sugar is high at 17g per serving; Sodium is high at 860mg per serving; Contains modified tapioca starch and xanthan gum.

Who might evaluate this product differently?

People prioritizing different goals (for example lower carbs, higher protein, or minimally processed eating) may weigh the same condiments & sauces differently. Use the goal preview on this page, then personalize in KarbCoach for your priorities.

Source data and Healthy Food Guide analysis

  1. Public label databases (including USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts) — Possible sources for package ingredients and nutrition.
  2. Healthy Food Guide analysis (Longevity and Food Integrity) — Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards.
  3. How the Longevity Score is calculated
  4. How the Food Integrity Score is calculated
  5. Scoring models: KarbCoach Longevity and Food Integrity.
  6. Independent analysis. No manufacturer affiliation.
  7. Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions. Full sources and safety details.
Label accuracy and safety information

Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions.

Sources, citations & safety

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