GoodSwap Get notified
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

High fructose corn syrups

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup

24 oz (1 lb 8 oz) 680 g

Poor out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in sugar
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains artificial flavors
  • May contain traces of 1,4-dioxane
Get GoodSwap

Why it scores 35

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup scores 35 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. High fructose corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  3. Sugars 52.6 g / 100 g: Very high in sugar. Strong

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

Better dessert syrups and toppings

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

The Receipt

Chocolate Syrup

START100

Ingredients

  • High fructose corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3][4]
  • Potassium sorbate
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg body weight (as sorbic acid); generally recognized as safe in the US. [5][6]
  • Xanthan gum
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
  • Mono- and diglycerides
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher intakes of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471 and E472) were associated with higher cardiovascular risk; cause and effect is not established. [8][9][7]
  • Polysorbate 60
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [7]
  • Artificial flavors
    Strong US dietary guidelines advise limiting foods with artificial flavors. [2][10]
subtotal−29.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [7]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: emulsifier, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [7]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 52.6 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Energy 237 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 5.3 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
subtotal−13
TOTAL 35Poor

100 − 65 = 35

Can’t score above 79. Contains high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4]

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

GTIN 00034000003129 · 2026-09-19

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy237 kcal
Fat0 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates62.8 g
Sugars52.6 g
Added sugars52.6 g
Fiber5.3 g
Protein0 g
Salt0.1 g

Serving: 1 tbsp (19 g)

Ingredients

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

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, COCOA, 2% POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), SALT, XANTHAN GUM, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, POLYSORBATE 60, VANILLIN (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR).

Allergens and diets

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Packaging

Plastic, Paper, Hdpe 2 high density polyethylene

Context only: no points in v1.

More from Hershey's

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. 21 CFR 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Mar 24, 2023 · Law

    “a sweet, nutritive saccharide mixture containing either approximately 42 or 55 percent fructose”

    ecfr.gov

  5. Opinion on the follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E200) and potassium sorbate (E202) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Mar 1, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “By applying a default uncertainty factor of 100, the Panel established a group ADI expressed as 11 mg sorbic acid/kg bw per day for sorbic acid (E 200) and its potassium salt (E 202).”

    doi.org

  6. 21 CFR 182.3640 Potassium sorbate

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Nov 22, 2016 · Law

    ecfr.gov

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  8. 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

  9. Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Nov 10, 2017 · Agency assessment

    “The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”

    doi.org

  10. 21 CFR 172.515 Synthetic flavoring substances and adjuvants

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Oct 9, 2017 · Law

    ecfr.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. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetics: A Manufacturing Byproduct

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Regulator

    “1,4-dioxane forms as a byproduct during the manufacturing process of certain cosmetic ingredients.”

    fda.gov

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int