Food
Aldi Fruit and Grain Soft Baked Bar
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
Why it scores 9
Aldi Fruit and Grain Soft Baked Bar scores 9 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 granola and snack bars
-
Soft Baked Almond Flour Bars Chocolate Brownie Simple Mills · 5.99 oz/170 g Not ultra-processed · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 49 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
Soft Baked Almond Flour Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Simple Mills · 5.99 oz/170 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 71 out of 100 , 62 points higher -
Fruit and grain bites blueberry Olyra · 5.3 g Less sugar · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 46 out of 100 , 37 points higher -
Soft and chewy oat bar Over Easy · 52 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 62 out of 100 , 53 points higher -
Pure & Simple Apple Pie Fruit & Nut Bars Elevation · 8 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 70 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Fruit and Grain Soft Baked Bar
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup minus 20 points
- Invert sugar minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 32.4 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Salt 0.5 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Energy 378 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 91 = 9
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [6]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 378 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 8.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 70.3 g |
| Sugars | 32.4 g |
| Protein | 2.7 g |
| Salt | 0.5 g |
Ingredients
Label text, as published
ngredients: cherry flavored filling (sugar water w,corn syrup, maltodextrin, cherry puree apple porr e powder, pectin, malic acio citric acid, xanthan du alginate, fruit and vegetable juice potassum sbea preservative dicalcium phosphate, sodium ctrat turmeric, monoglycerides caloum stearate, natural e whole gat flour, enriched bleached flour (w* flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate riboflavin, folic acid), canola dl, mhcle mheat flour invert sugar soluli corn fiber, mhcle rclled gats sugar, fructosh, wolasses, wiaming and minerals (vitamin a palmikt, caloum caricnate, nacinamice reduced iron 2ing onde, pyrconine hyorcchlorce riboflavin, thamine yorcchlcrich, folic acid), whey powder honey sodum bcarbonate, natural flavor cellulose gum salt, quar gum, sow lecithin socium propionate-a preservative, leavening (sodium acio pyrophosphate, sodum bicaabcnate, corn starch monocalcium phosphate, calcum sulfate wheat gluten liquid wole eges, contains wheat mlk, soy, eges, may contain peanuts and tree nuts bavor aldi twice
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat
May contain: Peanuts, Tree nuts
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
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
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“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
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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
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“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
-
“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