Snickers Almond — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Snickers Almond by Snickers DUMP — score 17/90.

A candy bar built on sugar and glucose syrup with hydrogenated vegetable oil and an emulsifier. The almonds are a 15% garnish on a NOVA 4 sweet stack.

Why this verdict

• Hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm) — risk of industrial trans fat
• Three sugar sources stacked: sugar, liquid glucose, dextrose
• Sugar is the #1 ingredient in both coating and filling
• Emulsifier (INS 322 lecithin) + refined vegetable fats = NOVA 4
• Almonds are only 15% — the rest is sweetened fat

Ingredients (11)

• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Liquid glucose (moderate) — A simple syrup adding sweetness and texture.
• Hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm oil) (harmful) — Industrial hardened fat that can raise LDL cholesterol and heart-disease risk; automatic dump signal.
• Dextrose (caution) — Second added sweetener.
• Edible vegetable fats (sal fat, palm oil) (concerning) — Cheap refined vegetable fats used as cocoa-butter substitutes; high in saturated fat.
• Emulsifier (INS 322, soy lecithin) (moderate) — Soy lecithin binds fat and cocoa for a smooth spread. Harmless in small amounts but a sign of processing.
• Almonds (safe) — Whole nut, healthy fats, protein, fiber, and vitamin E.
• Cocoa Butter (safe) — The natural fat of the cacao bean.
• Cocoa Solids (safe) — Provides chocolate flavor and some antioxidants.
• Milk Solids (safe) — Curdled dairy solids — the protein, fat, and calcium of milk. Whole-food base with no processing tricks.
• Iodized Salt (safe) — Common salt; iodine is a plus in small amounts.