Mint Chocolate Fudge — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Mint Chocolate Fudge by Roundys Supermarket DUMP — score 17/90.

This fudge wants you to picture a copper kettle and grandma's wooden spoon, but the ingredient list says factory: hydrogenated palm kernel oil, four sweeteners, two preservatives, and a Yellow 5 + Blue 1 paint job to fake the mint green. The real butter is there mostly for the label. Hydrogenated oil is an automatic dealbreaker — no amount of nostalgia fixes trans-fat risk.

Why this verdict

• Hydrogenated palm kernel oil — hard rule: any hydrogenated oil means DUMP, full stop, regardless of other signals
• Artificial colors Yellow 5 and Blue 1 used to fake a 'mint' green that mint never provided (there's no actual mint, just 'natural & artificial flavors')
• Four-sweetener stack: sugar + corn syrup solids + brown sugar + sorbitol — a sweetness system, not a recipe
• Two chemical preservatives (potassium sorbate + sodium benzoate) so shelf-stable candy can pose as fresh-made fudge
• 18 ingredients for what a kitchen makes with five — sugar, butter, chocolate, milk, done

Ingredients (18)

• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Water (safe) — Used as a basic ingredient in bread.
• Hydrogenated palm kernel oil with soy lecithin (harmful) — Industrially hardened oil — the hydrogenation process is associated with trans fats that damage your heart.
• Butter (cream, salt) (safe) — Real dairy butter, not shortening — clean fat source.
• corn syrup solids (caution) — One of four sweetener sources.
• brown sugar (caution) — Second added sugar in the flavor base.
• CHOCOLATE LIQUOR (safe) — Real cocoa mass providing genuine chocolate flavor.
• Nonfat dry milk solids (moderate) — Dried dairy for body; benign but processed.
• Cocoa (safe) — Provides the chocolate note; present as 'a hint,' well below sugar and oil.
• Cream (milk) powder (moderate) — Dried dairy fat — adds richness.
• sorbitol (moderate) — Sugar alcohol used as a humectant; can cause GI upset in quantity.
• Natural & Artificial Flavors (caution) — Synthetic flavoring system.
• Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
• Potassium Sorbate (moderate) — Preservative for shelf life.
• Cocoa Butter (safe) — The natural fat of the cacao bean.
• Artificial green food color (Yellow 5 & Blue 1) (concerning) — Synthetic petroleum-derived dyes (Yellow 5, Blue 1) to fake a mint-green look; linked to hyperactivity concerns.
• sodium benzoate (caution) — Chemical preservative for shelf life.
• Soy Lecithin (safe) — Common emulsifier, generally benign in these amounts.