Good & Gather Mixed Fruit Flavored Snacks — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Good & Gather Mixed Fruit Flavored Snacks by Good & Gather DUMP — score 17/90.

Marketed as a fruit snack, but this is gummy candy: apple juice concentrate, corn syrup and sugar drive 52 g of sugar per 100 g, bound with gelatin and modified starch. The colors are at least from real vegetable and fruit juices rather than synthetic dyes, and there's added Vitamin C, but neither turns candy into a fruit serving. Treat it as the sweet it is.

Why this verdict

• The first three ingredients are apple juice concentrate, corn syrup and sugar (three sweetener sources), and the product is 52 g sugar per 100 g.
• Roughly 19 ingredients including gelatin, modified food starch and a stack of natural color extracts: a NOVA 4 ultra-processed confection.
• The only 'fruit' is apple juice concentrate that functions as sugar; the fruity color comes from spirulina, carrot, turmeric and blueberry juice, not fruit content.
• Zero protein and zero fiber; added ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is the sole redeeming line.

Ingredients (10)

• apple juice from concentrate (moderate) — A sugar source presented as the 'fruit' in the product.
• Corn Syrup (caution) — Added sugar baked into the crust.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• modified food starch (moderate) — Industrial thickener that gives the condensed texture; a processing marker.
• gelatin (moderate) — Animal-derived binder for the frosting; makes the product non-vegetarian.
• citric acid (safe) — Acidity and tartness adjuster.
• Natural Flavors (safe) — Flavor compounds derived from natural sources.
• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) (safe) — Added vitamin C; also helps preserve color and flavor.
• spirulina / black carrot / turmeric / blueberry juice (colors) (safe) — Colors sourced from vegetables and fruit rather than synthetic dyes.
• carnauba wax (safe) — Plant wax used to keep the bears from sticking.