Cookies
Girl Scouts Tagalongs
6.5 oz/184 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- Contains artificial flavors
Why it scores 2
Girl Scouts Tagalongs scores 2 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 Invert sugar: 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.
The Receipt
Tagalongs
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Invert sugar minus 20 points
- Hydrogenated oil minus 2.5 points
- Vegetable oil (unspecified) minus 1.5 points
- Palm kernel oil minus 1.5 points
- Soybean oil minus 1.5 points
- Sorbitan monostearate minus 0.5 points
- Soy lecithin minus 0.5 points
- Calcium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Natural and artificial 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 32 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 16 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Salt 0.8 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 560 kcal / 100 g minus 3 points
- Fiber 4 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 98.5 = 1.5 → 2
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 sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [15]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 560 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated fat | 16 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Sugars | 32 g |
| Added sugars | 28 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g |
Serving: 2 cookies (25 g)
Ingredients
- PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, SALT)
- SUGAR (high concern)
- ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID)
- VEGETABLE OIL (PALM KERNEL, PALM AND SOYBEAN OIL)
- COCOA
- INVERT SUGAR (high concern)
- CORNSTARCH
- SALT
- SORBITAN TRISTEARATE
- SOY LECITHIN
- LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE) (not recognized)
- NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS
- WHEY
- PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR
Label text, as published
PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS, SUGAR, HYDROGENATED PALM OIL, SALT), SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), VEGETABLE OIL (PALM KERNEL, PALM AND SOYBEAN OIL), COCOA, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF INVERT SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, SALT, SORBITAN TRISTEARATE, SOY LECITHIN, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, WHEY, PARTIALLY DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Peanuts, Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
“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
-
“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