GRAVIES + GRAVY MIXES >> What’s in the leading brands?

Information updated November 2023

According to Statista 2023, McCormick is the most popular brand of Gravy and Sauce mixes in the U.S.

McCORMICK GRAVY MIX INGREDIENTS: Let’s see what’s inside McCormick packaged mixes for Brown Gravy, Original Country Gravy and Turkey Gravy. (Source for ingredients: McCormick Web site 11/23) All three of these McCormick gravy mixes are banned at Whole Foods and contain many ingredients Not In Kitchen™ >> ingredients which would not be in our kitchens if we were making Gravy at home from scratch.

Q: Have any of these ingredients ever been in your kitchen when making, well, anything?

McCormick gravy mixes are Far From Homemade™ and contain commercial Not In Kitchen ingredients like Corn Syrup Solids, Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Palm Oil, Dipotassium Phosphate, Caramel Color, Yeast Extract, Torula Yeast, Butyric Acid, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate >> these last two are the ones banned at Whole Foods who cites them as “Unacceptable in food.” (Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 11/23)

According to Statista 2023, Kraft Heinz’s Heinz is the third popular brand of Gravy and Sauce mixes in the U.S.

Seen below, KRAFT HEINZ’S GRAVIES ARE NOT Closest To Homemade: Here’s what’s inside three of the different Gravies from Kraft Heinz which are all banned at Whole Foods. (Source for ingredients: Kraft Heinz Heinz Web site 11/23)

Shown below, WILLIAMS-SONOMA TURKEY GRAVY BASE CONTAINS ADDED CARAMEL COLOR, LACTIC ACID, ADDED NATURAL FLAVOR, TURKEY BROTH FLAVOR AND THE THICKENER, CORNSTARCH. (Source for ingredients: Williams-Sonoma Web site 11/23)

BOTH PIONEER ROASTED TURKEY GRAVY MIX and CAMPBELL’S TURKEY GRAVY both contain multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen. Pioneer contains the banned-at-Whole-Foods Enriched Bleached Flour and there is Yeast Extract in the Campbell’s Turkey Gravy. (Sources for ingredients: Campbell’s Web site 11/23; Pioneer Brand Web site 11/23)

Seen below, THE CLOROX COMPANY’S KITCHEN BOUQUET IS BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS FOR CONTAINING THE CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVE, SODIUM BENZOATE plus SULFITES IN THE CARAMEL COLOR. Caramel Color is the #1 ingredient in The Clorox Company’s Kitchen Bouquet and Water is the #2 ingredient; ingredients are always listed in descending order of amount so the #1 and #2 ingredients we’re paying for if we buy this product are Coloring and Water. (Sources: Walmart Web site 11/23; The Clorox Company Web site 11/23)

Source for carcinogenic potential of Caramel Color: Environmental Working Group Web site 11/23

Shown below, ROSES BRANDS GRAVY MASTER CONTAINS CARAMELIZED SUGAR AS THE #1 INGREDIENT. The #2 ingredient is Added Caramel Color and the #3 ingredient is Water.

So, Gravy Master is primarily Sugar, Color + Water.

The next ingredients in Gravy Master are two Not In Kitchen ingredients: Hydrolyzed Soy Protein and Hydrolyzed Corn Protein. (Source for ingredients: Roses Brands Web site 11/23)

Let’s look below at Simply Organic Born Gravy and Turkey Gravy; both contain multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen.

Seen below right, Simply Organic Turkey Gravy Mix contains Yeast Extract >> The FDA does not allow foods that contain Yeast Extract to say ‘No MSG’ or ‘No added MSG’ on their packaging. Yeast Extract is a flavor enhancer which many companies have switched to as a replacement for MSG. (Source: U.S. FDA 2023; Sources for ingredients: Brand Web sites 11/23)

GRAVIES CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE: This is where we usually provide a solution with the brands which are Closest To Homemade®, but this is the first time we don’t have even one. Please let us know if you know a gravy mix or gravy in a jar which has NO Added Flavoring or Added Coloring and no other ingredients Not In Kitchen.

HOMEMADE GRAVY IS THE BEST + MOST ECONOMICAL: Reduce the poultry stock on stove top (this takes time, but then there’s no need to use a thickener like flour or starch) and add fresh lemon zest + fresh lemon juice + Himalayan salt + fresh ground pepper + minced fresh sage, all to taste. Yummmmmm!

Here’s a look back at some vintage ads for a couple of these brands . . .

Discover food + 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.

Closest To Homemade® Master List

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