Progresso Light Southwestern Style Vegetable Soup — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Progresso Light Southwestern Style Vegetable Soup by Progresso DUMP — score 20/90.

A real vegetable base buried under a long additive tail and a triple umami-booster stack engineered to fake savory depth.

Why this verdict

• Triple umami-booster stack: hydrolyzed corn protein + yeast extract + torula yeast fake a meaty savoriness
• Over 18 ingredients with a heavy additive tail (modified starch, xanthan gum, sodium phosphate, citric acid)
• Modified food starch and soluble corn fiber are industrial texture/bulk fillers, not real food
• 470 mg sodium per cup despite the 'Light' positioning

Ingredients (20)

• Chicken broth (safe) — Standard broth base, fine but salty.
• Celery (safe) — Whole-food vegetable, classic chowder aromatic.
• Tomatoes (safe) — Whole tomatoes, the real base of the salsa. Source of lycopene and vitamin C.
• carrots (safe) — Whole vegetable, beta-carotene and fiber.
• Green sweet peppers (safe) — Real vegetable, vitamin C.
• Corn (safe) — Whole vegetable, some fiber and starch.
• black beans (safe) — Whole legume; fiber, plant protein, and resistant starch that feeds gut bacteria.
• RED BELL PEPPERS (safe) — Real vegetable, vitamin C.
• Corn protein (hydrolyzed) (concerning) — A flavor enhancer that delivers free glutamate like MSG; signals engineered savoriness.
• Salt (moderate) — Added sodium for flavour.
• Xanthan Gum (moderate) — Lab-produced stabilizer for texture; mild gut effects in large amounts.
• soluble corn fiber (moderate) — Isolated fiber added so the label can claim fiber; can cause GI upset.
• POTASSIUM CHLORIDE (safe) — Electrolyte salt added to imply 'hydration'; harmless but minor.
• Natural flavor (moderate) — A vague regulatory catch-all that can hide a range of processing aids; not transparent, so it loses points.
• YEAST EXTRACT (moderate) — A second glutamate-rich flavor enhancer — stacking two of these engineers an intense umami hit.
• torula yeast (concerning) — Third umami booster; together with the above this is an engineered savory stack.
• modified food starch (moderate) — Industrial binder/filler typical of ultra-processed meats.
• Sodium Phosphate (moderate) — Water-binding/texturizing additive common in processed meat.
• citric acid (safe) — Common acidulant for tartness and preservation; safe in these amounts.
• Sugar (concerning) — Added refined sugar, listed high - spikes blood sugar with no nutrition.