Tic Tac Flavored Mints (Fruit Adventure) — DUMP

Munch or Dump rates Tic Tac Flavored Mints (Fruit Adventure) by Ferrero U.S.A. Incorporated DUMP — score 20/90.

Sugar is the #1 ingredient and these are basically tiny sugar pills dressed up as fruit, finished with three artificial dyes and artificial flavors.

Why this verdict

• Sugar is the first and dominant ingredient
• Three artificial colors: Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1
• Artificial flavors do the heavy lifting, not real fruit
• NOVA 4 ultra-processed with dextrin, rice starch and stacked acids
• 'Fruit' is trace acerola/apple extract way down the list

Ingredients (14)

• Sugar (concerning) — Added refined sugar, listed high - spikes blood sugar with no nutrition.
• dextrin (moderate) — Processed starch derivative used as a binder/filler.
• rice starch (moderate) — Refined starch used as a bulking/anti-caking agent. Empty carbohydrate, processing filler.
• Tartaric Acid (safe) — Acidulant for tartness; minor.
• gum arabic (safe) — A plant-derived fiber/gum used as a binder. Generally harmless in these amounts.
• malic acid (safe) — Tart flavoring acid; fine in small amounts.
• Artificial Flavors (moderate) — Lab-made flavor compounds in a product sold as premium dark chocolate; not what you'd expect at this tier.
• MAGNESIUM STEARATE (safe) — An anti-caking/flow agent. Harmless in trace amounts but a marker of industrial processing.
• Dried acerola extract (safe) — Trace fruit extract used for label appeal, not nutrition.
• Dried green apple (safe) — Trace dried fruit far down the list.
• carnauba wax (safe) — Plant wax used to give the pellet its hard glossy shell. Inert coating, not nutrition.
• Yellow 5 (tartrazine) (concerning) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye linked to hyperactivity in sensitive children. Purely cosmetic.
• red 40 (concerning) — A petroleum-derived artificial dye linked to hyperactivity in children; purely cosmetic.
• blue 1 (concerning) — Synthetic artificial dye with no nutritional purpose, used only for color.