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General Mills Loaded Cocoa Puffs
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Breakfast cereals

General Mills Loaded Cocoa Puffs

15.1 oz

Bad out of 100 High confidence
  • High in sugar
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains palm oil
  • No synthetic dyes
  • Contains whole grains
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Why it scores 8

General Mills Loaded Cocoa Puffs scores 8 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated): No NOVA group on file; estimated from 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better breakfast cereals

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Loaded Cocoa Puffs

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Caramel color
    Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [4][5][6][7]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated)
    Strong No NOVA group on file; estimated from 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers. [8]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring and industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate. [8]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 28.7 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Saturated fat 3.6 g / 100 g
    Strong High in saturated fat. [9]
  • Salt 0.8 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [10]
  • Energy 420 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 5.6 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
subtotal−20
TOTAL 8Bad

100 − 92.5 = 7.5 → 8

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Can’t score above 79. High in sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]

GTIN 00016000206823 · 2026-08-28

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy420 kcal
Fat13.7 g
Saturated fat3.6 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates74.4 g
Sugars28.7 g
Added sugars27.4 g
Fiber5.6 g
Protein4.9 g
Salt0.8 g

Serving: 1 cup (42 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

Ingredients: Whole Grain Wheat, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (canola, palm, palm kernel, and/or sunflower), Corn Starch, Rice Flour, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Salt, Caramel Color, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Rosemary Extract. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Wheat

  • Not gluten-free
  • Not palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest breakfast cereals in the US

More from General Mills

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

    “Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

    fda.gov

  5. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  6. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  7. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  8. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  10. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “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

  11. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  12. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  13. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  14. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org

  15. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food

    European Union (Official Journal) · Apr 25, 2023 · Law

    “Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”

    eur-lex.europa.eu