Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, 10.5 oz — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, 10.5 oz by Campbell's DUMP — score 20/90.
Read the label: the 'cream' in this cream of mushroom is mostly refined seed oil, modified cornstarch, and flour — actual cream shows up seventh. Then MSG and yeast extract tag-team the flavor because the recipe can't carry it alone. It's a casserole binder, not a soup.
Why this verdict
- Flavor enhancer stack: MSG + yeast extract doing the umami work
- Modified cornstarch + refined oil blend + wheat flour fake the creamy body — the hallmark thickener trio
- Real cream is buried behind water, oil, starch, and salt in the ingredient order
- Sodium runs near 870 mg per half-cup serving — over a third of the daily limit in one ladle
- NOVA 4 ultra-processed formula with a 'natural flavoring' black box on top
Ingredients (9)
- Mushrooms (safe) — The one whole food pulling its weight — second ingredient after water.
- Vegetable oil (corn, canola, soybean) (moderate) — Refined seed-oil blend impersonating cream's richness at a fraction of the cost.
- modified cornstarch (caution) — Industrially altered starch for texture control — a classic ultra-processed marker.
- Salt (moderate) — ~260mg sodium per packet — sweet AND salty is the palatability play.
- cream (safe) — Real butterfat, second on the list.
- Soy Protein Concentrate (moderate) — Processed protein filler adding body on the cheap.
- MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (caution) — First layer of the umami stack — flavor engineering, not seasoning.
- YEAST EXTRACT (caution) — Free glutamate — the same umami hit as MSG with a cleaner-sounding name.
- Natural Flavoring (moderate) — Unspecified flavor system covering for the diluted juice.
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