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Kenny's Candy & Confections Australian style gourmet licorice red licorice
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Confectioneries

Kenny's Candy & Confections Australian style gourmet licorice red licorice

10 oz/284 g

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Dye with an EU warning label
  • Contains synthetic dyes
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in sugar
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains palm oil
  • Contains artificial flavors
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Why it scores 11

Kenny's Candy & Confections Australian style gourmet licorice red licorice scores 11 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): 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 gummy and chewy candy

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

The Receipt

Australian style gourmet licorice red licorice

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Invert sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and modified starch. [4]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 31 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Energy 276 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
subtotal−15
TOTAL 11Bad

100 − 89 = 11

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][5][6][7][8][9][10]

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

GTIN 00022224201001 · 2023-11-16

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy276 kcal
Fat0 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates72.4 g
Sugars31 g
Added sugars31 g
Fiber0 g
Protein3.5 g
Salt0.3 g

Serving: 3 PIECES (29 g)

Ingredients

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

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT, IRON, NIACIN, THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN, & FOLIC ACID), WATER, CANE SYRUP, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH (CORN), PALM OIL, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MALIC ACID, SOY MONO- & DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), SALT, FD&C RED NO. 40.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Wheat, Gluten

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Not gluten-free
  • Not palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest confectioneries in the US

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of 16 December 2008 on food additives

    European Union (Official Journal) · Dec 16, 2008 · Law

    “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  6. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 (as it applies in the UK), Annex V: food colours requiring additional labelling

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Law

    “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

    legislation.gov.uk

  7. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

    The Lancet · November 2007 · Peer-reviewed

    “Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.”

    doi.org

  8. Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    “FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—by the end of 2027.”

    fda.gov

  9. California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition

    California Legislative Information · Sep 28, 2024 · Law

    “beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”

    leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

  10. List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Jul 29, 2026 · Regulator

    “The table below includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances, and contaminants under FDA review as of May 12, 2026 .”

    fda.gov

  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. HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Apr 22, 2025 · Regulator

    “Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”

    fda.gov

  13. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  14. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  15. Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

    Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  16. Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

    Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  17. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

    BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  18. 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