Starburst Assorted Candy Canes — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Starburst Assorted Candy Canes by wrigley DUMP — score 17/90.

Sugar and corn syrup with three artificial dyes and synthetic flavors. The 'real fruit juice' is a sub-2% afterthought.

Why this verdict

• Sugar is the #1 ingredient, corn syrup #2 — two refined sweeteners back to back
• Three artificial dyes: Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1
• Natural AND artificial flavors — synthetic flavoring in the mix
• Fruit juice is under 2%, just enough to justify the 'real fruit' claim
• Pure fast sugar — no fiber, protein, or nutrition of any kind

Ingredients (9)

• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• Corn Syrup (caution) — Added sugar baked into the crust.
• citric acid (safe) — Acidity and tartness adjuster.
• Natural and Artificial Flavors (caution) — Undisclosed lab flavoring - the artificial half signals engineering.
• Fruit juice from concentrate (apple, lemon, orange, strawberry) (moderate) — Present at under 2% — there for the 'real fruit' marketing, not for any real nutritional benefit.
• red 40 (avoid) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye with no purpose in a brown chocolate product; a decisive negative.
• yellow 5 (avoid) — Artificial dye linked to sensitivity in some people; unnecessary here.
• blue 1 (avoid) — Artificial dye used to tune color; no nutritional role.
• glycerol (caution) — Humectant that keeps the cookie artificially soft.