Tic Tac Mints — BULLSHIT
Munch or Dump rates Tic Tac Mints by Ferrero BULLSHIT — score 0/90.
Marketed as '1.5 calories' and effectively sugar-free, but sugar is the #1 ingredient and these are roughly 90% sugar.
Why this verdict
- 'Sugar-free' / 'less than 2 calories' label, but sugar is the #1 ingredient (~90% sugar)
- Loophole math: each mint is under 0.5g, so the sugar legally rounds to zero
- Stacks a second sweetener (sucralose) on top of all that sugar
- Artificial colors Yellow 5 and Blue 1 plus artificial flavors
- Maltodextrin and modified rice starch — pure ultra-processed filler
Ingredients (11)
- Sugar (concerning) — Added refined sugar, listed high - spikes blood sugar with no nutrition.
- Maltodextrin (concerning) — A refined-starch filler with a glycemic index higher than table sugar; pure processed carbohydrate with no nutritional upside.
- rice starch (moderate) — Refined starch used as a bulking/anti-caking agent. Empty carbohydrate, processing filler.
- Natural and Artificial Flavors (moderate) — Undisclosed lab-made flavor blend; the 'artificial' half is pure synthetic chemistry with no food value.
- gum arabic (safe) — A plant-derived fiber/gum used as a binder. Generally harmless in these amounts.
- MAGNESIUM STEARATE (safe) — An anti-caking/flow agent. Harmless in trace amounts but a marker of industrial processing.
- citric acid (safe) — Common acidulant for tartness and preservation; safe in these amounts.
- carnauba wax (safe) — Plant wax used to give the pellet its hard glossy shell. Inert coating, not nutrition.
- Sucralose (moderate) — Intense artificial sweetener; calorie-free but keeps you chasing sweetness and may affect gut bacteria.
- Yellow 5 (tartrazine) (concerning) — Artificial petroleum-derived dye linked to hyperactivity in sensitive children. Purely cosmetic.
- Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue) (concerning) — Artificial coal-tar-derived dye with no nutritional purpose. Color for marketing only.