Merry Christmas Chocolate Balls — TREAT

Munch or Dump rates Merry Christmas Chocolate Balls by Heidel TREAT — score 43/90.

Sugar-first milk chocolate. Indulgent and fat-heavy, but the ingredient list is short and recognizable with no artificial colors or flavor enhancers.

Why this verdict

• Sugar is the #1 ingredient, ahead of all the cocoa
• Palm oil and cocoa butter make this fat-heavy and calorie-dense
• Short, recognizable list with no artificial colors or flavor enhancers
• An indulgent sweet, not nutrition

Ingredients (10)

• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Cocoa Butter (safe) — The natural fat of the cacao bean.
• Whole Milk Powder (safe) — Dairy solids.
• Vegetable fat (palm oil) (concerning) — Refined palm oil, high in saturated fat; the #2 ingredient and the source of Nutella's spreadable texture.
• CHOCOLATE LIQUOR (safe) — Real cocoa mass providing genuine chocolate flavor.
• Sweet whey powder (moderate) — Cheap dairy byproduct used as bulk filler.
• Cocoa powder (low-fat) (safe) — Defatted cocoa for color and flavor. Mild positive from cocoa solids.
• Lactose (safe) — Milk sugar carrier in the seasoning; makes the chips not dairy-free.
• Emulsifier (soy lecithin) (moderate) — Industrial emulsifier that binds the fat and sugar into a smoother, more moreish texture.
• natural vanilla flavor (safe) — The vanilla flavoring itself.