TOMATO SALSAS — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE® 

Information updated January 2024

How lonely would a corn chip be without salsa? How boring would tacos be without that spicy, yummy, fresh dip to add the perfect touch?

HOMEMADE SALSA RECIPE: If we were making Tomato Salsa at home we might use the following: tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, spices + herbs (like cilantro, cumin, chipotle, black pepper), green peppers, onions. Perhaps garlic, jalapeño, scallion, vinegar, lemon or lime. It's really a basic simple recipe that can easily be tailored to each palate in terms of spiciness and texture.

Let's take a look at the basic salsa offerings from category leaders Pace (owned by Campbell’s) and Tostitos (owned by PepsiCo) (Source for ranking: Statista 2024)

TOSTITOS: The two ingredients Not In Kitchen™ for Tostitos Chunky Salsa Mild are Water and Natural Flavor >> circled in red. (Source for ingredients: PepsiCo Tostitos Web site 1/24)  Ingredients are always listed in descending order of amount.

Water is the First Ingredient in PepsiCo’s Tostitos Chunky Salsa Mild.

'NATURAL FLAVORS': These ‘Natural Flavors’ are commercial ingredients that are Not In Kitchen >> these flavors are complex chemical formulations that come from Flavor Houses who can create literally any known taste flavor (Think of flavored seltzer waters). 

According to the Environmental Working Group, “Added flavoring, both natural and artificial, could contain anywhere from 50 to 100 ingredients.”

In the Environmental Working Group’s database of over 80,000 foods, Natural Flavor is the fourth most common ingredient  >> so, cumulatively we are all consuming a lot of vague man-made “Natural Flavors". 

PACE: Similar to Tostitos, the two ingredients Not In Kitchen for Pace Chunky Salsa Medium (shown below) are Water and Natural Flavoring. (Source for ingredients: Campbell’s Pace Web site 1/24)

ADDED SWEETENERS: Although Sugar is not seen in homemade Salsa recipes, you may see it in prepared Salsas. As noted below, certain Salsa offerings (among many others) contain Added Sugar like these here from Stonewall Kitchen, Thrive Market, Ortega and Tostitos. (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

ADDED THICKENING/FIRMING AGENTS: Although thickening agents and firming agents are not seen in homemade Tomato Salsa recipes, you may see them in prepared Salsas. As noted below, certain Salsa offerings (among many others) contain added thickening/firming agents like these here from La Victoria, Herdez, Chi-Chi’s and Tostitos. (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

ADDED CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVE: Many Tomato Salsas contain an FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative, Citric Acid or Sodium Benzoate. (Source for Chemical Preservatives: U.S. FDA 2024) Some of these include offerings from Herdez, Walmart Great Value, Ortega, La Victoria and Chi-Chi’s. (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

These Newman’s Own Fruit Salsas contain multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen:

Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa Medium: The basic Tostitos Salsa we already looked at has only one item Not In Kitchen and it has no added sweeteners. We can't assume that this will be true for all Tostitos brand salsas, as seen below in the Tostitos Restaurant Style Salsa >> In addition to Sugar, this product contains added Water as a separate ingredient, Natural Flavors and also added Pectin >> Pectin is a Thickening Agent made from fruit which is used in making jelly. (Source for ingredients: PepsiCo Tostitos Web site 1/24)

Here are some other Salsas which contain commercial Natural Flavor:

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE: Shown below, the Closest To Homemade brands of Tomato Salsa have no added Sugar, Sweeteners, Chemical Preservatives, Flavors or Thickeners.

Organic Salsas include certified Kosher Brad’s Organic Roasted Garlic and Medium Salsas (shown) plus Mild and Hot Salsas (not shown); Naked Medium and Extra Hot Organic Salsa (also available in Mild), and Non-GMO Project Verified Field Day Organic.  (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

Seen below, additional Closest To Homemade® Salsas include Stonewall Kitchen Ghost Pepper Salsa; Amy’s made with Organic Tomato Purée; Certified Gluten Free, Vegan and Non-GMO Project verified Fody certified Low FODMAP Mild Salsa (also available in Medium), and Non-GMO Project Verified Green Mountain Gringo which is also Certified Gluten-free. (Sources: Brand Web sites 1/24)

Discover more food and beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

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Here’s a closer look at one of the Closest To Homemade salsas, Brad's Organic:

When we look at the Brad's Organic Salsa ingredients through the Homemade filter >> we see that these are all ingredients that might be in our homemade recipes. There are no ingredients here Not In Kitchen >> This is why this product is listed as a Salsa that is Closest To Homemade.

Fresh Salsa is a perfect way to get more colorful goodness into the diet of even the pickiest eater because salsa can be customized to every taste. 

LYCOPENE: Tomatoes contain the anti-oxidant Lycopene which gives tomatoes their red color and has the ability to neutralize dangerous free radicals. 

In the world of Tomato Salsa:

AVOID: Added sweeteners, added flavors (natural or artificial), chemical preservatives, (table) salt, added thickeners, plastic containers.

SEEK: Organic fresh tomatoes, organic fresh veggies, Himalayan salt, organic fresh spices and herbs, glass containers.

Think beyond homemade tomato salsa to other perfect choices like red pepper, zucchini or cucumber. Make it just the way you like.

And remember the fresh fruit salsas like pineapple or mango or papaya. Yum!