Desserts
Snack Pack Zero Sugar
13 oz
Score
- Dye with an EU warning label
- Contains synthetic dyes
- Ultra-processed
- Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains artificial flavors
Why it scores 26
Snack Pack Zero Sugar scores 26 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Red 40: In the EU and UK, foods with this color must state that it "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children". Regulatory
- 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 pudding and gelatin
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Snack Pack Zero Sugar
Ingredients
- Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener) minus 20 points
- Red 40 minus 20 points
- Carrageenan minus 7.5 points
- Sucralose minus 2.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
100 − 74 = 26
Can’t score above 79. Contains fruit juice concentrate (sweetener), an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 5 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 0 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.1 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Salt | 0.1 g |
Serving: 1 gel snack (92 g) (92 g)
Ingredients
- Water
- Apple Juice* From Concentrate (Water, Apple Juice) (high concern)
- Carrageenan (moderate concern)
- Adipic Acid
- Citric Acid
- Potassium Citrate
- Sodium Citrate
- Sucralose (moderate concern)
- Konjac Flour
- Xanthan Gum
- Salt
- Natural And Artificial Flavor
- Red 40 (high concern)
Label text, as published
Water, Less Than 2% Of: Apple Juice* From Concentrate (Water, Apple Juice), Carrageenan, Adipic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Citrate, Sucralose, Konjac Flour, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Red 40. *Adds a trivial amount of sugar.
Allergens and diets
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Sources
-
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
-
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of 16 December 2008 on food additives
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
legislation.gov.uk
-
“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
-
Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes
“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
-
California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition
“beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
-
List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review
“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
-
“We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”
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
-
Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives
“However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”
doi.org
-
Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
-
Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance
“As groups, each administered NNS distinctly altered stool and oral microbiome and plasma metabolome, whereas saccharin and sucralose significantly impaired glycemic responses.”
doi.org
-
“Sucralose-6-acetate significantly increased the expression of genes associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer”
doi.org
-
“EFSA’s experts concluded that the sweetener sucralose (E 955) continues to be safe for consumers for its currently authorised uses as a food additive.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline
“The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”
who.int
-
HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)
“Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”
fda.gov
-
“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
-
“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