Haribo Goldbears Gummi Candy — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates Haribo Goldbears Gummi Candy by Haribo DUMP — score 17/90.
Three sugars, gelatin, and three petroleum-derived dyes — that's the whole bear. The 'fat free' flag on the bag is technically true and completely beside the point when the product is mostly glucose syrup. Artificial colors and artificial flavors push this past simple treat into industrial candy.
Why this verdict
- Yellow 5, Red 40, and Blue 1 — a three-dye stack; artificial colors are a hard DUMP signal
- Glucose syrup, sugar, and dextrose stacked — three sweetener sources form the entire body of the candy
- Artificial flavors do the fruit impression; there is zero fruit or juice in US Goldbears
- Gelatin plus waxes plus dyes is an engineered chew, not the 'simple ingredients' that would earn a TREAT
Ingredients (10)
- glucose syrup (caution) — A second refined sweetener in the caramel.
- Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
- Dextrose (caution) — Second added sweetener.
- gelatin (moderate) — Animal-derived binder for the frosting; makes the product non-vegetarian.
- yellow 5 (avoid) — Artificial dye linked to sensitivity in some people; unnecessary here.
- red 40 (avoid) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye with no purpose in a brown chocolate product; a decisive negative.
- blue 1 (avoid) — Artificial dye used to tune color; no nutritional role.
- Artificial and natural flavors (caution) — Undisclosed flavor chemistry standing in for fruit.
- citric acid (safe) — Acidity and tartness adjuster.
- Beeswax / sunflower oil (safe) — Anti-stick glazing agents, trace amounts.
Healthier alternatives