Is SweetTarts Original ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 10 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed hard candies
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
dextrose (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), malic acid (dl-malic acid), calcium stearate 2%, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), blue 1 lake (ultra-processing marker), blue 2 lake (ultra-processing marker), red 40 lake (ultra-processing marker), yellow 5 lake (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E129 Allura red , E132 Indigotine , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E296 Malic acid
As written on the pack
DEXTROSE, MALTODEXTRIN, MALIC ACID (DL-MALIC ACID), 2% CALCIUM STEARATE, NATURAL FLAVORS, BLUE 1 LAKE, BLUE 2 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE.
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.
- E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
- E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
- E132 Indigotine Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
- E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
2 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.
- Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 15 hard candies
From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 87% of the hard candies here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 07916423, last edited 7 April 2026), 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.
- NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.