Food
Sunsweet Bakery Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains sugar alcohols
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains palm oil
- Seed-oil free
Why it scores 3
Sunsweet Bakery Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar scores 3 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 Corn syrup: 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 granola and snack bars
-
Larabar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar · 45 g Not ultra-processed · No sugar alcohols Score 44 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabar · 45 g Not ultra-processed · No sugar alcohols Score 44 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Soft Baked Almond Flour Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Simple Mills · 5.99 oz/170 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 71 out of 100 , 68 points higher -
Granola Bar, Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Munk Pack · 4.51 oz/128 g Less sugar · No added sugars Score 60 out of 100 , 57 points higher -
MACROBAR everlasting joy coconut + almond butter + chocolate chips GoMacro · 1 bar 65 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 46 out of 100 , 43 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bar
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Honey minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 34.4 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 14.1 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Salt 0.4 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Energy 500 kcal / 100 g minus 3 points
- Fiber 3.1 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 97.5 = 2.5 → 3
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 sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 500 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 21.9 g |
| Saturated fat | 14.1 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65.6 g |
| Sugars | 34.4 g |
| Added sugars | 34.4 g |
| Fiber | 3.1 g |
| Protein | 6.3 g |
| Salt | 0.4 g |
Serving: 1 bar (32 g)
Ingredients
- granola (whole grain rolled oats, sugar, palm kernel and soybean oils, corn syrup, coconut, honey, molasses, soy lecithin salt, corn starch peanuts, almonds, soy flour, egg whites) (not recognized)
- corn syrup (high concern)
- sugar (high concern)
- palm and palm kernel oil
- chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin, vanilla, milk) (moderate concern)
- crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, whey, salt, barley malt, wheat flour, dextrose, palm kerne ind soybean oils, water, cocoa, nonfat dry milk, sorbitol, soy lecithin, corn starch, salt, carrageenan, mono - and diglycerides allergy information: contains coconut, soy, peanuts, almonds, egg, milk, wheat. ckee foods, p.o. box 750, collegedale, tn 37315 ©2013-02018 questions 1-800-522-4499)
Label text, as published
granola (whole grain rolled oats, sugar, palm kernel and soybean oils, corn syrup, coconut, honey, molasses, soy lecithin salt, corn starch peanuts, almonds, soy flour, egg whites), corn syrup, sugar, palm and palm kernel oil, chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate cocoa butter, dextrose, soy lecithin, vanilla, milk), crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, whey, salt, barley malt, wheat flour, dextrose, palm kerne ind soybean oils, water, cocoa, nonfat dry milk, sorbitol, soy lecithin, corn starch, salt, carrageenan, mono - and diglycerides allergy information: contains coconut, soy, peanuts, almonds, egg, milk, wheat. may contain other tree nuts. ckee foods, p.o. box 750, collegedale,tn 37315 ©2013-02018 questions 1-800-522-4499.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Peanuts, Tree nuts, 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
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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
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Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
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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
-
“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
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“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
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“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
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Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III point 2.4 (foods with more than 10 % added polyols)
“‘excessive consumption may produce laxative effects’.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
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
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu