Hot Tamales Chewy Spicy Candies — DUMP

Name: Hot Tamales Chewy Spicy Candies
Brand: Hot Tamale

Munch or Dump rates Hot Tamales Chewy Spicy Candies by Hot Tamale DUMP — score 20/90.

Sugar and corn syrup colored with four artificial dyes and bound with modified starch. This is candy-shaped sugar, nothing more.

Why this verdict

Sugar and corn syrup are the #1 and #2 ingredients, pure refined sweetness
Four artificial dyes: Red 40, Yellow 5 (tartrazine), Yellow 6, Blue 1
Modified food starch and dextrin mark it as ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
Two distinct sweetener sources plus artificial flavors
No nutritional value, just a fast blood-sugar spike

Ingredients (16)

Sugar (concerning) — Added refined sugar, listed high - spikes blood sugar with no nutrition.
Corn Syrup (concerning) — Refined glucose syrup added purely for sweetness and body; spikes blood sugar with zero nutrition.
modified food starch (moderate) — Industrial binder/filler typical of ultra-processed meats.
Fumaric acid (moderate) — Acidulant for shelf life and dough handling. Industrial additive, not something you'd add at home.
Natural and Artificial Flavors (moderate) — Undisclosed lab-made flavor blend; the 'artificial' half is pure synthetic chemistry with no food value.
dextrin (moderate) — Processed starch derivative used as a binder/filler.
citric acid (safe) — Common acidulant for tartness and preservation; safe in these amounts.
malic acid (safe) — Tart flavoring acid; fine in small amounts.
red 40 (concerning) — A petroleum-derived artificial dye linked to hyperactivity in children; purely cosmetic.
Yellow 5 (tartrazine) (concerning) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye linked to hyperactivity in sensitive children. Purely cosmetic.
yellow 6 (concerning) — Synthetic azo dye; cosmetic only, flagged for behavioral effects in sensitive kids.
blue 1 (concerning) — Synthetic artificial dye with no nutritional purpose, used only for color.
confectioner's glaze (moderate) — Shellac coating for shine; ultra-processed marker.
carnauba wax (safe) — Plant wax used to give the pellet its hard glossy shell. Inert coating, not nutrition.
medium chain triglycerides (safe) — Processing aid/coating fat in tiny amount. Neutral here.
sodium citrate (safe) — Buffering salt; benign in these amounts.