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GENERAL MILLS · 0/100 · Not approved
5 not-approved ingredients detected; 4 banned in at least one country
| Ingredient | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar (Refined) | Caution | Refined sucrose, typically from sugarcane or sugar beet; minimally processed but a refined sweetener. |
| Modified Food Starch | Not approved | Industrially modified starch (chemical, enzymatic, or physical processing — label rarely specifies which). Common GMO source (corn/wheat/tapioca), and several modification agents (propylene oxide, sodium hydroxide) are flagged in EU regulatory reviews. Editorial position: not what we'd stock. |
| Corn Syrup | Caution | Refined glucose syrup from corn starch. |
| Dextrose | Caution | Refined glucose, typically from corn. |
| Red 40 (Allura Red AC) | Not approved | Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU. |
| Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) | Not approved | Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization. |
| Artificial Flavors | Not approved | Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds. |
| Sunflower Oil | Not approved | Refined seed oil; high-oleic variants slightly more stable but still industrially processed. |
| Maltodextrin | Caution | Highly processed starch derivative with a glycemic index higher than table sugar. |
| Soy Lecithin | Caution | Hexane-extracted from soybeans unless labeled non-GMO/organic. |
| Caramel Color (generic) | Caution | Without a Class number, manufacturer-disclosed type is unknown; Class III/IV variants (most common in colas) contain 4-MeI, a California Prop 65 carcinogen. |
| Natural Flavor | Caution | Regulatory category that allows solvent extraction and undisclosed processing aids. Lack of transparency. |
100 − 50×5 − 10×7 − 5×0 = 0
| Reason | Points | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Food Starch | -50 | Industrially modified starch (chemical, enzymatic, or physical processing — label rarely specifies which). Common GMO source (corn/wheat/tapioca), and several modification agents (propylene oxide, sodium hydroxide) are flagged in EU regulatory reviews. Editorial position: not what we'd stock. |
| Red 40 (Allura Red AC) | -50 | Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU. |
| Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) | -50 | Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization. |
| Artificial Flavors | -50 | Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds. |
| Sunflower Oil | -50 | Refined seed oil; high-oleic variants slightly more stable but still industrially processed. |
| Sugar (Refined) | -10 | Refined sucrose, typically from sugarcane or sugar beet; minimally processed but a refined sweetener. |
| Corn Syrup | -10 | Refined glucose syrup from corn starch. |
| Dextrose | -10 | Refined glucose, typically from corn. |
| Maltodextrin | -10 | Highly processed starch derivative with a glycemic index higher than table sugar. |
| Soy Lecithin | -10 | Hexane-extracted from soybeans unless labeled non-GMO/organic. |
| Caramel Color (generic) | -10 | Without a Class number, manufacturer-disclosed type is unknown; Class III/IV variants (most common in colas) contain 4-MeI, a California Prop 65 carcinogen. |
| Natural Flavor | -10 | Regulatory category that allows solvent extraction and undisclosed processing aids. Lack of transparency. |
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