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Carnation Breakfast Essentials Nutritional Drink
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Beverages

Carnation Breakfast Essentials Nutritional Drink

8 fl oz/237 mL

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains artificial flavors
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 8

Carnation Breakfast Essentials Nutritional Drink scores 8 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  3. 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 protein shakes

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

The Receipt

Nutritional Drink

START100

Ingredients

  • Corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Carrageenan
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. [4][5][6][7]
  • Cellulose gum (carboxymethylcellulose)
    Strong In a small randomized feeding trial, carboxymethylcellulose modestly increased abdominal discomfort and reduced gut microbiota diversity; in mice it promoted low-grade inflammation. [8][5][9][10]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [11]
  • 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, non-nutritive sweetener and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [11]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 ml

  • Sugars 6.3 g / 100 ml
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Energy 101 kcal / 100 ml
    Info Energy-dense for its volume. [2]
subtotal−16
TOTAL 8Bad

100 − 92 = 8

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

GTIN 00050000415168 · 2026-06-05

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 ml

Energy101 kcal
Fat1.7 g
Saturated fat0.4 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates17.3 g
Sugars6.3 g
Added sugars4.6 g
Fiber0 g
Protein4.2 g
Salt0.2 g

Serving: 1 carton (237 ml)

Ingredients

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

WATER, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE AND LESS THAN 2% OF VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER, CORN), COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SALT, CELLULOSE GEL, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN C), SOY LECITHIN, CHOLINE BITARTRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), CARRAGEENAN, CELLULOSE GUM, PURIFIED STEVIA LEAF EXTRACT (SWEETENER), FERRIC PYROPHOSPHATE (IRON), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ZINC SULFATE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN D3, CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, MANGANESE SULFATE, COPPER SULFATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, BETA CAROTENE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID, BIOTIN, POTASSIUM IODIDE, VITAMIN K1, VITAMIN B12.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy

  • Not vegan
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Packaging

Tetra pak

Context only: no points in v1.

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. Food additive emulsifiers and the risk of type 2 diabetes: analysis of data from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study

    The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · May 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  5. 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

  6. Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Apr 26, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”

    doi.org

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Jan 16, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “The Panel concluded that there was no need for a numerical ADI and that there would be no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels for the unmodified and modified celluloses”

    doi.org

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  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. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline

    World Health Organization · May 15, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “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

  15. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  17. 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