Is Pizza Hot Sauce Gluten Free?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look at the chemistry of a sauce to determine its safety for restricted diets. The formula for this hot sauce is surprisingly clean and straightforward. Let's look at the core components.

The base is a Pepper mash made from Cayenne and sweet peppers. This is simply fermented peppers and salt—naturally gluten-free. The acidity comes from white vinegar. While some people worry about malt vinegar (which contains gluten), distilled white vinegar is processed in a way that removes all gluten proteins, making it perfectly safe.

For texture and stability, the sauce uses xanthan gum. This is a common food thickener created by fermenting sugar. It is derived from corn or soy and is universally accepted as gluten-free. Finally, the flavor profile is rounded out with tomato puree, white onion, garlic, and pepper flakes. None of these ingredients contain gluten or carry high risks of cross-contamination.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, Pizza Hot Sauce is a low-calorie condiment. Because it is primarily water and peppers, the calorie count is negligible—usually under 10 calories per serving. The sodium content is the main watch-out here; like most preserved sauces, it relies on salt for flavor and shelf stability.

If you are monitoring your sugar intake, this sauce is a decent option. It contains no added sugars, relying solely on the natural sweetness of the peppers and onions. It fits well into low-carb and keto diets. However, the capsaicin from the cayenne pepper can boost metabolism slightly, though it won't replace a balanced diet.