Dark chocolates
Endangered Species Chocolate Caramel & Sea Salt 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate
3 oz
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Seed-oil free
Why it scores 6
Endangered Species Chocolate Caramel & Sea Salt 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate scores 6 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 Caramel: 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 cocoa powder
-
Pure Dark 60% Cocoa Uganda Chocolate Melts Beyond Good · 7 oz Not ultra-processed · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 50 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Dark Chocolate (85% Cocoa) Walmart · 3.5 oz/100 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 65 out of 100 , 59 points higher -
Pure Dark 92% Cocoa Madagascar Chocolate Melts Beyond Good · 7 oz Less sugar · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 46 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
Grass Fed Dark Chocolate Cocoa Tera's Whey · 12 oz Less sugar · No added sugars Score 54 out of 100 , 48 points higher -
Midnight Dark 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate Galerie Au Chocolat · 100 g Not ultra-processed · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 46 out of 100 , 40 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Caramel & Sea Salt 60% Cocoa Dark Chocolate
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Caramel minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 3 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 3 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 42.9 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 21.4 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Salt 0.5 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Energy 536 kcal / 100 g minus 3 points
- Fiber 7.1 g / 100 g plus 4 points
100 − 94 = 6
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 | 536 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 32.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 21.4 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57.1 g |
| Sugars | 42.9 g |
| Added sugars | 42.9 g |
| Fiber | 7.1 g |
| Protein | 3.6 g |
| Salt | 0.5 g |
Serving: 1 onz (28 g)
Ingredients
- BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE (CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA)
- ORGANIC CARAMEL (ORGANIC TAPIOCA SYRUP, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC NONFAT MILK, ORGANIC HEAVY CREAM, ORGANIC BUTTER(MILK), SALT, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM CITRATE, ORGANIC VANILLA EXTRACT 2-FOLD, ORGANIC SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN E [MIXED TOCOPHEROLS] ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS) (high concern)
- HIMALAYAN SALT
Label text, as published
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE (CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA), ORGANIC CARAMEL (ORGANIC TAPIOCA SYRUP, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC NONFAT MILK, ORGANIC HEAVY CREAM, ORGANIC BUTTER(MILK), SALT, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM CITRATE, ORGANIC VANILLA EXTRACT 2-FOLD, ORGANIC SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN E [MIXED TOCOPHEROLS] ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), HIMALAYAN SALT.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy
- Not vegan
- 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
-
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
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“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