Blueberry muffins
Otis Spunkmeyer-Delicious Essentials Wild Blueberry Muffin
2 oz
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- Contains artificial flavors
- Contains whole grains
Why it scores 7
Otis Spunkmeyer-Delicious Essentials Wild Blueberry Muffin scores 7 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Invert sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better muffins
-
No sugar added blueberry streusel muffins Marketside · 14 oz Less sugar · No added sugars Score 50 out of 100 , 43 points higher -
Blueberry Muffin Protein Treats Magic Spoon · 1 bar, 40 g Less sugar · No added sugars Score 58 out of 100 , 51 points higher -
Blueberry Muffin Chef Pierre Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 72 points higher -
Blueberry Raspberry oat bran muffins Trader Joe's · 19 oz (1 lb 3 oz) 539 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 65 out of 100 , 58 points higher -
Blueberry Muffins Flax 4 Life · 14 oz Less sugar · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 40 out of 100 , 33 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Wild Blueberry Muffin
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Invert sugar minus 20 points
- Soybean oil minus 2.5 points
- Palm oil minus 1.5 points
- Canola oil minus 1.5 points
- Sodium aluminum phosphate minus 1.5 points
- Calcium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Modified starch minus 0.5 points
- Potassium sorbate minus 0.5 points
- Propylene glycol minus 0.5 points
- Sodium alginate minus 0.5 points
- Natural and artificial flavors minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 28.1 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 3.5 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Salt 0.6 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Energy 333 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 3.5 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 93.5 = 6.5 → 7
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 333 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 10.5 g |
| Saturated fat | 3.5 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52.6 g |
| Sugars | 28.1 g |
| Added sugars | 28.1 g |
| Fiber | 3.5 g |
| Protein | 5.3 g |
| Salt | 0.6 g |
Serving: 1 MUFFIN (57 g)
Ingredients
- WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
- SUGAR (high concern)
- EGGS
- WATER
- ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID)
- BLUEBERRIES
- INVERT SUGAR (high concern)
- SOYBEAN OIL
- PALM OIL
- CANOLA OIL
- OAT FIBER
- LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE) (not recognized)
- MODIFIED CORN STARCH
- POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE)
- PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTER OF FATTY ACIDS
- SODIUM ALGINATE
- NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR
- SALT
- MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES
- NATURAL BLUEBERRY FLAVOR
- SOY LECITHIN
- SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE
- BLUEBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE
- MALIC ACID
- BLACKBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE
- ENZYMES
Label text, as published
INGREDIENTS: WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, EGGS, WATER, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), BLUEBERRIES, INVERT SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PALM OIL, CANOLA OIL, OAT FIBER, LEAVENING (SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MODIFIED CORN STARCH, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTER OF FATTY ACIDS, SODIUM ALGINATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, NATURAL BLUEBERRY FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, BLUEBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE, MALIC ACID, BLACKBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE, ENZYMES.CONTAINS: EGGS, SOY, WHEAT.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
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Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods
“The highest levels of GE, as well as 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD (including esters) were found in palm oils and palm fats, followed by other oils and fats.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates
“We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“By applying a default uncertainty factor of 100, the Panel established a group ADI expressed as 11 mg sorbic acid/kg bw per day for sorbic acid (E 200) and its potassium salt (E 202).”
doi.org
-
21 CFR 182.3640 Potassium sorbate
ecfr.gov
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
-
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
-
“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org
-
“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org