Food
Nestlé Drumstick Variety Pack
16 × 4.6 fl oz (136 mL), net 73.6 fl oz (2.17 L)
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 6
Nestlé Drumstick Variety Pack 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 Corn syrup: 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 ice cream bars and frozen treats
-
Smoked Turkey Drumsticks Kiolbassa · 24 oz Less sugar · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 36 out of 100 , 30 points higher -
Chinese Style Chicken Drumsticks Morrisons Market Street Less sugar · Less saturated fat Score 31 out of 100 , 25 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Drumstick Variety Pack
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Soy lecithin minus 2.5 points
- Soybean oil minus 1.5 points
- Guar gum minus 1.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 1.5 points
- Pectin minus 0.5 points
- Locust bean gum minus 0.5 points
- Palm oil minus 0.5 points
- Modified starch minus 0.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 24.5 g / 100 g minus 11 points
- Saturated fat 8.2 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 306 kcal / 100 g minus 1 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 saturated fat and sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [15]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 306 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 16.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 8.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 37.8 g |
| Sugars | 24.5 g |
| Added sugars | 24.8 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 5.1 g |
| Salt | 0.2 g |
Serving: 1 drumstick (98 g)
Ingredients
- skim milk
- sugar (high concern)
- corn syrup (high concern)
- peanuts
- coconut oil
- bleached wheat flour
- soy lecithin
- soybean oil
- cream
- guar gum
- mono and diglycerides
- salt
- pectin
- carob bean gum
- cocoa
- milk
- whey
- peanut oil
- palm oil
- modified tapioca starch
- natural flavor
- annatto color
Label text, as published
skim milk, sugar, corn syrup, peanuts, coconut oil, bleached wheat flour, soy lecithin, soybean oil, cream, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, salt, pectin, carob bean gum, cocoa, milk, whey, peanut oil, palm oil, modified tapioca starch, natural flavor, annatto color
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Peanuts, Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More from Nestlé
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
-
“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
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
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
-
Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives
“The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”
doi.org
-
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
-
Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods
“The highest levels of GE, as well as 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD (including esters) were found in palm oils and palm fats, followed by other oils and fats.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“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