Popcorn
Herr's Fire roasted sweet corn popcorn
177 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- Contains artificial flavors
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 30
Herr's Fire roasted sweet corn popcorn scores 30 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 9 points Salt 3.1 g / 100 g: Very high in salt. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better popcorn
-
Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Boom Chicka Pop · 2.25 oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 70 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn PopCorners · 18 oz/510.3 g Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 71 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Angie's Boomchickapop · 3 lb Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 66 out of 100 , 36 points higher -
Lightly Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Angie's Boomchickapop · 5 oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 64 out of 100 , 34 points higher -
Popped Pop Corn Simply · 34 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 78 out of 100 , 48 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Fire roasted sweet corn popcorn
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Vegetable oil (unspecified) minus 2.5 points
- Cottonseed oil minus 2.5 points
- Sunflower oil minus 1.5 points
- Maltodextrin minus 1.5 points
- Gum arabic (acacia) minus 1.5 points
- Natural and artificial flavors minus 0.5 points
- Calcium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Canola oil minus 0.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 7.1 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Saturated fat 7.1 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Salt 3.1 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Energy 500 kcal / 100 g minus 3 points
- Fiber 10.7 g / 100 g plus 4 points
- Protein 10.7 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 70 = 30
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 salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [13]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 500 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 28.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 7.1 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53.6 g |
| Sugars | 7.1 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Fiber | 10.7 g |
| Protein | 10.7 g |
| Salt | 3.1 g |
Serving: 28g
Ingredients
- POPCORN
- VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, COTTONSEED, SUNFLOWER)
- CHEESE BLEND (CHEDDAR CHEESE [CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, WHEY, BUTTERMILK, NATURAL FLAVOR, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID])
- SEASONING (CORN MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, CHILI PEPPER, SUGAR, SPICES, NONFAT DRY MILK, BUTTERMILK SOLIDS, GUM ACACIA, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, PARMESAN CHEESE, SOUR CREAM SOLIDS [CULTURED CREAM], SUNFLOWER OIL, TURMERIC EXTRACT [COLOR], CANOLA OIL, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR)
- NONFAT DRY MILK
- BUTTER (CREAM, SALT)
Label text, as published
POPCORN, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, COTTONSEED, SUNFLOWER), CHEESE BLEND (CHEDDAR CHEESE [CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, WHEY, BUTTERMILK, NATURAL FLAVOR, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID]), SEASONING (CORN MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, CHILI PEPPER, SUGAR, SPICES, NONFAT DRY MILK, BUTTERMILK SOLIDS, GUM ACACIA, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, PARMESAN CHEESE [MILK, SALT, CULTURES, ENZYMES], SOUR CREAM SOLIDS [CULTURED CREAM], SUNFLOWER OIL, TURMERIC EXTRACT [COLOR], CANOLA OIL, NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR), NONFAT DRY MILK, BUTTER [CREAM, SALT].
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk
- Not vegan
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More popcorn on GoodSwap
-
Original Popcorn Skinny Pop · 4.4 oz Contains seed oilsNo additives Score 79 out of 100 Good -
Popcorn Himalayan Pink Salt Lesser Evil · 5 oz High in saltHigh in saturated fatCertified organicNo additives Score 79 out of 100 Good -
POPcorn HIMALAYAN GOLD Lesser Evil · 4.6 oz/130 g Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fatCertified organic Score 68 out of 100 Good -
Xtreme Butter Popcorn Act II · 33.016 oz Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fatContains palm oil Score 58 out of 100 Okay -
Popcorn, Himalayan pink salt Lesser Evil · .65 oz High in saltHigh in saturated fatNo additivesSeed-oil free Score 79 out of 100 Good -
Movie Theatre Popcorn Extra Butter AMC Theatres · 2.75 oz Ultra-processedHigh in saturated fatContains seed oilsContains palm oil Score 59 out of 100 Okay
More from Herr's
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
-
“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
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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
-
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates
“We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
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