Sauce

A sauce is a liquid or semi-liquid food product served with or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are made from a wide variety of ingredients, which can include fruits, vegetables, dairy, fats, spices, and herbs, and can be cooked or uncooked.

Sauces are added to foods primarily to enhance flavor, moisture, and texture, and to improve visual appeal. They are commonly found in prepared meals such as pizzas, frozen dinners, and vegetable-based products, where they bind ingredients and contribute to the overall taste profile.

"Sauce" is a general food category, not a single ingredient or additive, so its regulatory status and health implications depend entirely on its specific ingredients. The FDA regulates the individual components of sauces, such as food additives, colors, and flavorings. Health bodies like JECFA and EFSA evaluate specific food additives, not broad food categories like "sauce." Therefore, any potential health effects or controversies would be linked to particular ingredients within a sauce, rather than the sauce itself.