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GOURMET JELLY BEANS

PRIVATE SELECTION · 0/100 · Not approved

6 not-approved ingredients detected; 5 banned in at least one country

What we flagged

IngredientVerdictWhy
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.
Artificial Flavors Not approved Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds.
Red 40 (Allura Red AC) Not approved Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU.
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.
Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) Not approved Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization.
Red 3 (Erythrosine) Not approved Banned from US food (Jan 2025) and cosmetics (1990) after rat studies linked it to thyroid tumors.

How the score was reached

100 − 50×6 − 10×2 − 5×0 = 0

ReasonPointsDetail
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.
Artificial Flavors -50 Undisclosed synthetic flavoring compounds.
Red 40 (Allura Red AC) -50 Synthetic azo dye linked in studies to hyperactivity in children. Mandatory warning label in the EU.
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.
Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF) -50 Synthetic triarylmethane dye; was banned in France, Norway and Finland until 2008 EU harmonization.
Red 3 (Erythrosine) -50 Banned from US food (Jan 2025) and cosmetics (1990) after rat studies linked it to thyroid tumors.
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 followingapple juice concentrateCitric AcidMalic Acidsodium citrateArtificial Flavorscolor addedRed 40 (Allura Red AC)yellow 5 & 6Red 40 Lake (Allura Red AC Aluminum Lake)Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue FCF)yellow 5 & 6 lakeRed 3 (Erythrosine)blue 1 & 2 lakevegetable & fruit juicecolorbeeswaxconfectioner's glazecarnauba wax

Diets this fits

VegetarianPescatarianGluten-freeDairy-free

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Educational information, not medical or dietary advice. Scores reflect what the label states, checked against our published rules. Labels change — always read the product’s own packaging.