Which Has Less Sodium, Hormel or Wolf Brand Chili?

Hormel Chili with Beans has less sodium by weight: about 401 mg per 100 g against about 482 mg for Wolf Brand Chili with Beans (our arithmetic). As printed, Hormel lists 990 mg per 247 g serving (43% DV) on its brand page, and the Open Food Facts listing for Wolf Brand shows 2,050 mg for a 425 g can counted as one serving. This comparison sets the two labels side by side and does not rank either chili as healthier.

Measure	Hormel Chili with Beans	Wolf Brand Chili with Beans
Sodium per listed serving	990 mg per 247 g serving (43% DV)	2,050 mg per 425 g can, counted as one serving (Open Food Facts)
Sodium per 100 g (our calculation)	About 401 mg	About 482 mg
Total fat	10 g per 247 g serving	26 g per 425 g can
Saturated fat	4 g per 247 g serving	8 g per 425 g can
Fiber	7 g per 247 g serving	17 g per 425 g can
Protein	15 g per 247 g serving	24 g per 425 g can
Soy ingredient	Textured soy flour	Soy lecithin
First ingredient listed	Water	Meat ingredients, including pork and partially defatted chopped beef

Key takeaways

• Hormel lists 990 mg sodium per 247 g serving (43% DV). Wolf Brand's listing shows 2,050 mg per 425 g can, counted as one serving.
• Per 100 g (our calculation, not printed on either label): about 401 mg for Hormel and about 482 mg for Wolf Brand.
• Both ingredient statements name a soy ingredient: textured soy flour (Hormel) and soy lecithin (Wolf Brand).
• Fat, fiber, and protein are printed on different serving bases, so each number has to be read with its basis.

How Much Sodium Is in Hormel vs Wolf Brand Chili per Serving and per 100 g?

Hormel's brand page lists 990 mg sodium per 247 g serving (43% DV), while Wolf Brand's Open Food Facts listing shows 2,050 mg per 425 g can, recorded as one serving.

The FDA Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day. Against that reference, the Hormel serving is 43% DV as printed, and the Wolf Brand can is about 89% DV by our arithmetic, because the Open Food Facts entry does not list a percent Daily Value.

Dividing each figure by its gram weight gives a common basis. Hormel works out to about 401 mg sodium per 100 g (990 divided by 247), and Wolf Brand to about 482 mg per 100 g (2,050 divided by 425). Neither label prints a per-100 g figure, so both are our calculations. For another sodium comparison built on panel reading, see the Applegate vs Boar's Head turkey sodium comparison.

Which Canned Chili Has the Least Sodium?

Per 100 g, Hormel has less sodium, about 401 mg against about 482 mg for Wolf Brand (our calculation). Hormel's servings per container for the 15 oz can is not disclosed. A 15 oz can is about 425 g, so if a whole Hormel can were eaten at the same density it would come to about 1,700 mg of sodium, against 2,050 mg for the Wolf Brand can (our arithmetic, not a printed figure).

The Wolf Brand listing gives the higher figure in this comparison: 2,050 mg for a 425 g can. The Hormel panel gives 990 mg for a 247 g serving, and the two serving sizes differ, so the single-serving numbers are not a like-for-like test.

Searchers often ask which canned chili has the least sodium. On these two listings, the answer depends on the basis used. The comparison does not establish a least-sodium product across all canned chilis.

What Are the Ingredients in Hormel Chili with Beans vs Wolf Brand Chili with Beans?

Hormel lists water first and beef and pork second, while Wolf Brand lists its meat ingredients first, including pork and partially defatted chopped beef. The two ingredient statements differ in several starches, additives, and flavorings.

The Hormel statement reads: Water, Beef and Pork, Beans, Concentrated Crushed Tomatoes, Contains 2% or less of Modified Cornstarch, Textured Soy Flour, Corn Flour, Salt, Chili Powder (Chili Peppers, Flavoring), Sugar, Flavoring, Green Chiles (Contains Citric Acid), Onions, Spices, Jalapeño Peppers, Vinegar.

The Wolf Brand statement on Open Food Facts reads: Meat Ingredients (Pork, Partially Defatted Chopped Beef, Beef), Water, Prepared Pinto Beans (Pinto Beans, Water), Tomatoes (Water, Tomato Puree), Beef Broth, Whole Rolled Oats, Chili Pepper, Contains Less Than 2% Of: Corn Starch, Salt, Sugar, Natural Flavor, Spices, Soy Lecithin, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Sodium Phosphate.

• Listed on Hormel only: modified cornstarch, textured soy flour, corn flour, vinegar, green chiles with citric acid, onions, and jalapeño peppers.
• Listed on Wolf Brand only: whole rolled oats, beef broth, prepared pinto beans, soy lecithin, caramel color, sodium phosphate, garlic powder, and natural flavor.
• Listed on both: beans, tomatoes, salt, sugar, spices, and chili pepper, though the forms and sources are described differently.

U.S. labels list ingredients in descending order of weight, so Hormel's beef and pork appear right after water, and Wolf Brand's meat ingredients appear first. Both labels group their minor ingredients under a 2% heading.

Do Hormel and Wolf Brand Chili with Beans Contain Soy, and Is It Labeled?

Hormel's statement lists textured soy flour and Wolf Brand's lists soy lecithin, so both labels declare a soy ingredient. Hormel places its textured soy flour within the "Contains 2% or less of" phrase. Wolf Brand's soy lecithin sits in its "Contains Less Than 2% Of" group.

Soy is one of the nine major food allergens identified by law in the United States, alongside milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and sesame. FDA's food allergies page lists soybeans among these nine.

Whether either can carries a separate allergen statement is not shown in the listings referenced in this article. Readers with a soy allergy should check the full ingredient statement and any allergen line on the package in hand. Label information cannot show how any individual with a soy allergy will react.

How Do the Fat and Saturated Fat Compare in Hormel vs Wolf Brand 15 oz Chili?

Hormel has 10 g total fat and 4 g saturated fat per 247 g serving, while Wolf Brand has 26 g total fat and 8 g saturated fat per 425 g can.

Hormel's panel also shows 0 g trans fat, 13% DV for total fat, and 20% DV for saturated fat. Wolf Brand's entry does not show percent Daily Values, and its trans fat was not disclosed. Calories follow the same pattern: 270 per Hormel serving and 550 per Wolf Brand can.

Because the serving bases differ, these numbers are not a like-for-like can comparison. The serving size on a label may also differ from how much a person actually eats from a can.

How Much Fiber and Protein Is in Hormel vs Wolf Brand Chili with Beans?

Hormel lists 7 g fiber and 15 g protein per 247 g serving, and Wolf Brand's listing shows 17 g fiber and 24 g protein per 425 g can.

Hormel's fiber is 25% DV on its panel, while Wolf Brand's percent Daily Value for fiber was not disclosed. Total carbohydrate is 31 g for Hormel and 56 g for Wolf Brand. Sugars are 5 g (including 2 g added) for Hormel and 3 g (including 1 g added) for Wolf Brand.

Hormel's panel also lists 4.5 mg iron (25% DV) and 470 mg potassium (10% DV). Wolf Brand's iron and potassium were not disclosed, so those rows cannot be compared. Fiber and protein figures should be read alongside the calorie and sodium rows, since each product uses a different gram basis.

Why Do Serving Sizes Change the Sodium Numbers on Canned Chili Labels?

Serving size sets the denominator for every number on the panel, so a 247 g Hormel serving and a 425 g Wolf Brand can should not be read as the same portion.

FDA states that the Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day, that 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is considered low, and that 20% DV or more is considered high. Under those thresholds, Hormel's listed 43% DV and Wolf Brand's roughly 89% DV (our calculation) both fall in the high range.

A can labeled as one serving makes the per-serving figure look like the per-can figure. Shoppers who split a can into several portions should check how the label defines a serving before comparing numbers. A related sodium-by-serving comparison appears in the Hebrew National vs Nathan's sodium comparison.

How Do Hormel and Wolf Brand Chili Compare on Ingredient Processing and Additives?

Hormel's statement includes modified cornstarch and citric acid in green chiles, while Wolf Brand's includes caramel color and sodium phosphate. Both statements include a soy ingredient.

This article describes these additives only by their label names. The labels name sodium phosphate, caramel color, and modified cornstarch, but this comparison does not describe their functions or manufacturing methods. The labels also do not state the exact amount of any additive beyond the "2% or less" and "less than 2%" groupings.

Hormel's statement also includes sugar, vinegar, and corn flour, while Wolf Brand's includes whole rolled oats and beef broth. Processing methods for the meat and beans are not described on either label, so this comparison is limited to what appears in the ingredient statements.