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Alden's Organic Old School Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Ice cream sandwiches

Alden's Organic Old School Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

21.9 fl oz/648 mL

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in sugar
  • High in saturated fat
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains palm oil
  • Certified organic
  • Seed-oil free
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 6

Alden's Organic Old School Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich scores 6 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Caramel color: The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. Regulatory
  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 ice cream bars and frozen treats

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

The Receipt

Old School Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Caramel color
    Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [4][5][6][7]
  • Invert sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [8]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 22.7 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Saturated fat 6.1 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in saturated fat. [9]
  • Salt 0.4 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some salt. [10]
  • Energy 258 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
subtotal−20
TOTAL 6Bad

100 − 94 = 6

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Can’t score above 79. High in saturated fat and sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [11]

GTIN 00072609741219 · 2025-10-26

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy258 kcal
Fat10.6 g
Saturated fat6.1 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates39.4 g
Sugars22.7 g
Added sugars19.7 g
Fiber0 g
Protein4.6 g
Salt0.4 g

Serving: 1 SANDWICH (66 g)

Ingredients

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

ICE CREAM: MILK,* CREAM,* CANE SUGAR,* EGG YOLKS,* VANILLA EXTRACT,* GUAR GUM*, LOCUST BEAN GUM.* COOKIE WAFERS: WHEAT FLOUR,* CANE SUGAR,* PALM OIL,* CARAMEL COLOR,* CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: COCOA* (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), CANE SYRUP,* SOY LECITHIN,* SALT, BAKING SODA, NATURAL FLAVOR.*

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Gluten, Egg

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

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest ice cream sandwiches in the US

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. 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

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

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

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  7. 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

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  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. 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

  15. Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products

    European Union (Official Journal) · May 30, 2018 · Law

    eur-lex.europa.eu