Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares (Raspberry Dark) — DUMP

Name: Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares (Raspberry Dark)
Brand: Ghirardelli

Munch or Dump rates Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares (Raspberry Dark) by Ghirardelli DUMP — score 20/90.

Premium-looking 'real raspberry' chocolate built on three sweeteners, palm oil, and the synthetic preservative TBHQ. Sugar is the very first ingredient, ahead of any cocoa.

Why this verdict

Sugar is the #1 ingredient, ahead of any cocoa
Three sweetener sources: sugar + high fructose corn syrup + corn syrup
Contains TBHQ, a synthetic petroleum-derived preservative
Palm oil and milk fat stack the saturated fat
'Raspberry' is powder plus fruit/veg juice for color, not real fruit

Ingredients (15)

Sugar (moderate) — Added sugar sitting ahead of cocoa; the main flavor driver here.
unsweetened chocolate++ (safe) — The one genuinely good part: cocoa solids with flavanols, but buried behind sugar.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (concerning) — A second refined sweetener stacked on the first; fructose load is linked to fatty liver and metabolic strain.
Cocoa Butter (safe) — Pure cocoa fat that gives the melt and mouthfeel; calorie-dense but a natural part of chocolate.
Palm Oil (moderate) — Refined oil added for mouthfeel; high in saturated fat with no whole-food benefit.
MILK FAT (moderate) — Adds saturated fat and creaminess.
Freeze-dried raspberry powder (safe) — Real fruit, but a tiny amount used mainly for flavor, not nutrition.
Corn Syrup (concerning) — Cheap glucose syrup; pure added sugar with no nutrition, here as the second-largest ingredient.
Soy Lecithin (moderate) — Common emulsifier in the brownie; mild but adds to the additive pile.
fruit and vegetable juice (safe) — Used as a coloring agent rather than for any nutritional value.
Potassium Sorbate (moderate) — Synthetic preservative, generally tolerated but a sign of a heavily preserved product.
citric acid (safe) — Common acidulant for tartness; harmless in this amount but can be rough on tooth enamel.
TBHQ (concerning) — Synthetic petroleum-derived antioxidant preservative used to keep the oil from going rancid — flatly contradicts the 'no preservatives' claim.
gelatin (safe) — Animal-derived protein that sets the foam; not harmful but not nutritious here.
vanilla (safe) — Flavoring in small amount.