Puffed salty snacks made from maize
General Mills Bugles Original
7.5 oz (212 g)
Score
- High in salt
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
Why it scores 56
General Mills Bugles Original scores 56 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 9 points Saturated fat 16.7 g / 100 g: Very high in saturated fat. Strong
- minus 7 points Salt 2.3 g / 100 g: Very high in salt. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better cheese puffs and curls
-
Lightly salted baked green pea & chickpea puffs, lightly salted Watusee Foods · 23 g Less salt · Less saturated fat Score 92 out of 100 , 36 points higher -
Peanut butter puffs Bamba · 7 oz/200 g Less salt · Less saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 , 23 points higher -
Pirates booty Pirate's Booty · 6 oz/170 g Less saturated fat · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 23 points higher -
Hippeas salt Hippeas · 5 oz/142 g Less saturated fat · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 23 points higher -
Haldiram's boondi masala Haldiram's · 200 g No added sugars · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 79 out of 100 , 23 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Bugles Original
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Vegetable oil (unspecified) minus 2.5 points
- Palm oil minus 2.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 1.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Saturated fat 16.7 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Salt 2.3 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 400 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 44.5 = 55.5 → 56
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in fat, saturated fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [15]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 400 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 23.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 16.7 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g |
| Sugars | 3.3 g |
| Added sugars | 3.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.7 g |
| Protein | 3.3 g |
| Salt | 2.3 g |
Serving: 1 serving (30 g)
Ingredients
- Degermed Yellow Corn Meal
- Vegetable Oil (coconut, palm)
- Sugar (high concern)
- Salt
- Distilled Monoglycerides
- Baking Soda
Label text, as published
Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Vegetable Oil (coconut and/or palm), Sugar, Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, Baking Soda. Freshness Preserved by BHT.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Tree nuts
May contain: Milk, Gluten
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Packaging
Plastic
Context only: no points in v1.
More puffed salty snacks made from maize on GoodSwap
-
Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips · 7 oz (198.4 g) Ultra-processedHigh in saltContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 20 out of 100 Poor -
Crunchy Cheetos · 1 oz (28.3 g) Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fatContains seed oils Score 52 out of 100 Okay -
Original Sun Chips · 7 oz (198.4 g) Contains added sugarsContains seed oilsNo additivesContains whole grains Score 61 out of 100 Good -
Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Smartfood · 1 and 61/4 oz High in saltHigh in saturated fatContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 17 out of 100 Bad -
Puffcorn Like Air · 4 oz Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fatContains seed oils Score 57 out of 100 Okay -
Sun Chips Minis Frito Lay · 3.75 g Ultra-processedHigh in saltContains added sugarsContains seed oils Score 20 out of 100 Poor
More from General Mills
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
-
“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
-
Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives
“The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”
doi.org
-
“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
-
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
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“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