WATERMELON SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, WATERMELON — DUMP
Munch or Dump rates WATERMELON SOFT & CHEWY CANDY, WATERMELON by Mondelez International, Inc. DUMP — score 17/90.
This is engineered sweetness and color with no fruit. Three sugars (sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup) form the chew, modified corn starch sets it, and the watermelon identity comes entirely from artificial flavor plus Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1 and titanium dioxide for opacity. It's a colorful sugar candy — enjoyable, but nutritionally empty.
Why this verdict
- Three stacked sugars — sugar, invert sugar and corn syrup — as the base
- Modified corn starch as an industrial texturizer
- Artificial flavor and a stack of synthetic dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1)
- Titanium dioxide added purely for opacity/whitening — an additive we'd limit
- No watermelon or any fruit despite the flavor name
Ingredients (11)
- Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
- Invert Sugar (caution) — Yet another sweetener layered in to keep the bar sweet and soft.
- Corn Syrup (caution) — Added sugar baked into the crust.
- Modified Corn Starch (moderate) — Thickener/stabilizer that gives the sauce body.
- CONTAINS LESS THAN OF CITRIC ACID (safe) — Used for tartness and as a preservative.
- Tartaric Acid (safe) — Second acidulant sharpening the fruit illusion.
- Natural and Artificial Flavor (moderate) — Added flavor system, including artificial flavor.
- Titanium dioxide (avoid) — Whitening color agent banned as a food additive in the EU.
- 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.
Healthier alternatives