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The original gourmet jelly bean
0/100 · Not approved
7 not-approved ingredients detected; 4 banned in at least one country
What we flagged
| Ingredient | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar (Refined) | Caution | Refined sucrose, typically from sugarcane or sugar beet; minimally processed but a refined sweetener. |
| Corn Syrup | Caution | Refined glucose syrup from corn starch. |
| 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. |
| Phosphoric Acid | Not approved | Industrial acid used in colas; associated with reduced bone density in observational studies. |
| Artificial Flavor | Not approved | Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds; no transparency about composition. |
| Red 40 Lake (Allura Red AC Aluminum Lake) | Not approved | Aluminum-salt form of Red 40 used in coatings (candies, supplements, pills). Carries the same hyperactivity-in-children concerns as the parent dye and adds aluminum exposure. |
| Red 40 (Allura Red AC) | Not approved | Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU. |
| Yellow 5 Lake (Tartrazine Aluminum Lake) | Not approved | Aluminum-salt form of Yellow 5 commonly found on candy shells, gum coatings, and capsule exteriors. Same EU mandatory warning label as the parent dye, plus added aluminum. |
| Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) | Not approved | Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization. |
How the score was reached
100 − 50×7 − 10×2 − 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. |
| Phosphoric Acid | -50 | Industrial acid used in colas; associated with reduced bone density in observational studies. |
| Artificial Flavor | -50 | Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds; no transparency about composition. |
| Red 40 Lake (Allura Red AC Aluminum Lake) | -50 | Aluminum-salt form of Red 40 used in coatings (candies, supplements, pills). Carries the same hyperactivity-in-children concerns as the parent dye and adds aluminum exposure. |
| Red 40 (Allura Red AC) | -50 | Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU. |
| Yellow 5 Lake (Tartrazine Aluminum Lake) | -50 | Aluminum-salt form of Yellow 5 commonly found on candy shells, gum coatings, and capsule exteriors. Same EU mandatory warning label as the parent dye, plus added aluminum. |
| Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) | -50 | Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization. |
| 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. |
Ingredients
Sugar (Refined)Corn SyrupModified Food Starchcontains or less of the followingCitric Acidsodium citratesodium lactatePhosphoric Acidtartaric acidArtificial Flavorcolor addedRed 40 Lake (Allura Red AC Aluminum Lake)Red 40 (Allura Red AC)Yellow 5 Lake (Tartrazine Aluminum Lake)yellow 5 & 6Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)blue 2 lakevegetable and fruit juicecoloracacia gumgrape juice concentratebeeswaxcarnauba waxconfectioner's glazeCaffeine
Diets this fits
VegetarianPescatarianGluten-freeDairy-free
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