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Utz Pub Mix
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Salty snacks

Utz Pub Mix

28 g

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Dye with an EU warning label
  • Contains synthetic dyes
  • High in salt
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains palm oil
  • Contains artificial flavors
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Why it scores 16

Utz Pub Mix scores 16 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Honey: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated): No NOVA group on file; estimated from 8 kinds of ultra-processing markers. Strong

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

The Receipt

Pub Mix

START100

Ingredients

  • Honey
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated)
    Strong No NOVA group on file; estimated from 8 kinds of ultra-processing markers. [4]
  • 8 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [4]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Saturated fat 1.8 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some saturated fat. [5]
  • Salt 3 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in salt. [6]
  • Energy 464 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 3.6 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
  • Protein 10.7 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−8
TOTAL 16Bad

100 − 84 = 16

Can’t score above 79. Contains honey, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]

GTIN 00041780072627 · 2026-01-25

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy464 kcal
Fat14.3 g
Saturated fat1.8 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates71.4 g
Sugars3.6 g
Added sugars3.6 g
Fiber3.6 g
Protein10.7 g
Salt3 g

Serving: 1 serving (28 g)

Ingredients

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

PRETZEL STICKS, HONEY MUSTARD AND CHEDDAR CHEESE TWISTIX, NACHO BAGEL CHIPS, HONEY ROASTED SESAME CHIPS, WORCESTERSHIRE RYE CHIPS AND ORIENTAL RICE CRACKERS. ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN (VITAMIN B3), REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], WHEAT FLOUR, RICE, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: CORN OIL, CANOLA OIL, PALM OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL), SALT, SESAME SEEDS, SUGAR, WHEY, SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT), HONEY COATING (SUCROSE, WHEAT STARCH, HONEY), YEAST (YEAST, YEAST EXTRACT, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, ASCORBIC ACID), BULGUR WHEAT, ONION POWDER, BUTTERMILK POWDER, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), RYE FLOUR, TACK BLEND (MALTODEXTRIN, XANTHAN GUM), DEXTROSE, MALTODEXTRIN, HONEY POWDER (HONEY, MALTODEXTRIN), MUSTARD POWDER [DEHYDRATED MUSTARD (DISTILLED VINEGAR, MUSTARD SEED, SALT, TURMERIC, PAPRIKA, SPICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, GARLIC POWDER), MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NATURAL FLAVOR], MONOGLYCERIDES, SOUR CREAM (CREAM, NONFAT MILK, CULTURES), CULTURED NONFAT MILK, GARLIC POWDER, MALT SYRUP (DERIVED FROM CORN AND MALTED BARLEY), WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE POWDER (MOLASSES, VINEGAR, CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, SUGAR, SPICES, TAMARIND, NATURAL FLAVOR, MALTODEXTRIN), MALT POWDER (WHEAT FLOUR, DEXTROSE, MALTED BARLEY), MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CARAWAY, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, GUAR GUM, TOMATO POWDER, SPICES, WHEAT GLUTEN, CHILI POWDER, CITRIC ACID, CORN FLOUR, CARAMEL COLOR, SEAWEED, TURMERIC (COLOR), LACTIC ACID, BUTTERFAT, CALCIUM SULFATE, ARTIFICIAL COLORS (YELLOW #6 LAKE, YELLOW #5 LAKE, YELLOW #5, YELLOW #6), DISODIUM INOSINATE AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, L-CYSTEINE, BEET POWDER (COLOR), OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Sesame, Mustard

  • Not vegan
  • Not gluten-free
  • Not palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

More from Utz

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. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  6. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “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

  7. Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

    “Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

    fda.gov

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  9. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  10. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 21 CFR 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 29, 2016 · Law

    “shall specifically declare the presence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 by listing the color additive as FD&C Yellow No. 5 among the list of ingredients.”

    ecfr.gov

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

    doi.org

  23. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  24. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org

  25. 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