Mirinda Orange — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates Mirinda Orange by PepsiCo Inc. DUMP — score 20/90.
A sugar bomb dressed in an artificial orange dye, with stabilizers and preservatives. There's no real fruit here, just sweetness, fizz, and food coloring.
Why this verdict
- Sugar is the #2 ingredient after water, with zero fruit or nutrition
- Colored with Sunset Yellow FCF (E110), a synthetic dye tied to child hyperactivity
- Two stabilizers (E1450, E445) plus sodium benzoate preservative
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) carbonated sugar water, empty calories
Ingredients (8)
- Carbonated Water (safe) — Just water with CO2; harmless base.
- Sugar (moderate) — Added sugar sitting ahead of cocoa; the main flavor driver here.
- Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid 330, Sodium Citrate 331) (safe) — Common, safe acidulants that add tartness; citric acid can erode tooth enamel over time.
- Stabilizer (Starch Sodium Octenyl Succinate 1450) (moderate) — A modified starch used to keep flavor oils and cloud suspended; a sign of an engineered formula.
- Stabilizer (Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosin 445) (moderate) — A weighting agent (estergum) that keeps citrus flavor evenly dispersed; purely industrial, not a food.
- Preservative (sodium benzoate 211) (moderate) — Prevents spoilage; can form trace benzene when combined with vitamin C, and is associated with hyperactivity in sensitive children.
- Colour Sunset Yellow FCF (110) (harmful) — A synthetic azo dye giving the orange hue; flagged in the Southampton study for increasing hyperactivity in children and carries a warning label in the EU.
- Natural Flavouring Substances (moderate) — Provides the orange taste without any actual orange; 'natural' here just means lab-derived flavor compounds.