Wegmans Cannoli Chip & Dip — ENGINEERED

Munch or Dump rates Wegmans Cannoli Chip & Dip by Wegmans ENGINEERED — score 30/90.

A real cannoli is basically ricotta, sugar and a fried shell. This dresses that idea up with three different sweeteners, a palm-oil-and-enriched-flour chip, and a soy-lecithin emulsifier. It tastes great because it was engineered to — sweetness, fat and fast starch layered for maximum craving.

Why this verdict

• Multiple sweeteners detected — sweetness engineered, not simple (dextrose + sugar + stevia extract)
• Hyper-palatable snack triad detected — added sugar + palm oil + enriched wheat flour
• Enriched (refined) flour chip is stripped of nutrients and rebuilt on palm oil for mouthfeel
• Real ricotta and chocolate are in the mix, but so are soy lecithin and undisclosed natural flavor
• High sugar and high saturated fat put this squarely in dessert territory

Ingredients (10)

• Enriched wheat flour (moderate) — Refined flour stripped of bran then fortified - the crust base.
• Palm Oil (moderate) — Saturated-fat-heavy oil used in the crust.
• Dextrose (caution) — Second added sweetener.
• Sugar (moderate) — Added for sweetness, can contribute to calorie content.
• stevia extract (safe) — Zero-calorie plant sweetener.
• eggs (safe) — Genuine brioche enrichment; a real ingredient doing real work.
• ricotta cheese (safe) — Real cheese, the heart of the filling.
• Natural flavor (moderate) — Undisclosed flavor blend; minor but not fully transparent.
• Soy Lecithin (safe) — Common emulsifier, generally benign in these amounts.
• Cocoa Butter (safe) — The natural fat of the cacao bean.