Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Fresh Mint Tic Tac ultra-processed?

Candies Sold in the United States

Pack of Fresh Mint Tic Tac

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 142 ingredients
  • 11 additives

Less processed candies

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), tomato puree (water, tomato paste), imitation mozzarella cheese (water, palm oil, modified corn starch, vegetable oil (soybean, high oleic soybean, canola oil), rennet casein, salt, sodium aluminum phosphate, potassium chloride, citric acid, guar gum, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, titanium dioxide (artificial color), maltodextrin, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin, vitamin b12), water, vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, canola oil), contains less than 2% of (rehydrated fat free mozzarella cheese, water), skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, citric acid, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin b6, imitation monterey jack cheese (water, palm oil, rennet casein, modified potato starch, vegetable oil (soybean, high oleic soybean, canola oil), potato starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, salt, citric acid, potassium chloride, potato maltodextrin, potassium sorbate (preservative), yeast extract, sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, titanium dioxide (artificial color), whey powder, natural flavor, anhydrous milkfat, maltodextrin, magnesium oxide, gum arabic, adipic acid, zinc oxide, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin, vitamin b12), imitation cheddar cheese (water, palm oil, rennet casein, modified potato starch, vegetable oil (soybean, high oleic soybean, canola oil), potato starch, sodium aluminum phosphate, citric acid, potassium chloride, salt, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium phosphate, yeast extract, sodium citrate, titanium dioxide (artificial color), natural flavor, buttermilk, maltodextrin, magnesium oxide, paprika extract (color), proprionic acid (preservative), zinc oxide, vitamin a palmitate, riboflavin, vitamin b12), modified corn starch, salt, sugar, whey, soy flour, rehydrated enzyme modified cheese (water, milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), dried onion, spice, methylcellulose, dextrose, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), monterey jack cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), tbhq (preservative), natural flavor

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E171 Titanium dioxide , E202 Potassium sorbate , E319 Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq) , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E355 Adipic acid , E412 Guar gum , E414 Acacia gum , E461 Methyl cellulose , E541 Sodium aluminium phosphate

As written on the pack

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), IMITATION MOZZARELLA CHEESE (WATER, PALM OIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN, HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL], RENNET CASEIN, SALT, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, CITRIC ACID, GUAR GUM, POTASSIUM SORBATE [PRESERVATIVE], SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE [ARTIFICIAL COLOR], MALTODEXTRIN, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN B12), WATER, VEGETABLE OIL (HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL). CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: REHYDRATED FAT FREE MOZZARELLA CHEESE (WATER, SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES, CITRIC ACID, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN B6), IMITATION MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (WATER, PALM OIL, RENNET CASEIN, MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN, HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL], POTATO STARCH, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, POTATO MALTODEXTRIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE [PRESERVATIVE], YEAST EXTRACT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM CITRATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE [ARTIFICIAL COLOR], WHEY POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, ANHYDROUS MILKFAT, MALTODEXTRIN, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, GUM ARABIC, ADIPIC ACID, ZINC OXIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN B12), IMITATION CHEDDAR CHEESE (WATER, PALM OIL, RENNET CASEIN, MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, VEGETABLE OIL [SOYBEAN, HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL], POTATO STARCH, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE [PRESERVATIVE], SODIUM PHOSPHATE, YEAST EXTRACT, SODIUM CITRATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE [ARTIFICIAL COLOR], NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTERMILK POWDER, MALTODEXTRIN, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, PAPRIKA EXTRACT [COLOR], PROPRIONIC ACID [PRESERVATIVE], ZINC OXIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN B12), MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, MODIFIED WHEY, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, REHYDRATED ENZYME MODIFIED CHEESE (WATER, MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), DRIED ONION, SPICE, METHYLCELLULOSE, DEXTROSE, DRIED CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), DRIED MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), TBHQ (PRESERVATIVE), NATURAL FLAVOR.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Show 2 more
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
11 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Microbial culture Microbial cultures ferment foods such as yoghurt, cheese and sourdough.
  • Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 486 candies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 457th. 96% of the candies here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 486 candies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 17818111, last edited 6 March 2025), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.