Sweet India Relish — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates Sweet India Relish by Mt.Olive DUMP — score 17/90.
A relish where cucumbers are immediately chased by two kinds of corn syrup. The 'fresh-tasting' condiment gets its color from a dye, its flavor from a lab, and its texture from polysorbate 80. This is candy syrup wearing a pickle costume.
Why this verdict
- Two added sweeteners — corn syrup AND high fructose corn syrup — are the #2 and #3 ingredients in a vegetable condiment
- Yellow 5 (tartrazine): an artificial dye linked to hyperactivity in children, used purely to fake a 'fresh' color
- Polysorbate 80: an industrial emulsifier associated with gut microbiome disruption in animal studies — unnecessary in a simple relish
- Natural AND artificial flavors plus sodium benzoate preservative — the taste and shelf life are engineered, not pickled
- NOVA 4 ultra-processed formulation: dyes, emulsifiers, and dual syrups stacked together strongly prefer DUMP
Ingredients (13)
- Cucumbers (safe) — The actual vegetable base; fine on its own.
- Corn Syrup (caution) — Added sugar baked into the crust.
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (caution) — The dominant sweetener and second ingredient; drives the sugar load.
- vinegar (safe) — Mild preservative and flavor enhancer.
- Salt (moderate) — Used in moderation, might exceed necessary amount.
- Red Bell Pepper (safe) — Real vegetable for color and flavor.
- sodium benzoate (caution) — Chemical preservative for shelf life.
- Alum (moderate) — Aluminum-based firming agent; not something you'd add to fresh-pickled cucumbers.
- Xanthan Gum (moderate) — Industrial thickener.
- calcium chloride (safe) — Firming salt that keeps the dice from turning to mush; trace amount, well tolerated.
- Natural and Artificial Flavors (caution) — Undisclosed lab flavoring - the artificial half signals engineering.
- POLYSORBATE 80 (caution) — Synthetic emulsifier used to mimic creaminess cheaply.
- yellow 5 (avoid) — Artificial dye linked to sensitivity in some people; unnecessary here.