Sour Gum Strawberry

by Mentos

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Sour Gum Strawberry by Mentos receives a safety score of 55/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 ingredients that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0073390015114
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 piece (2 g)

What the Data Says About

Sour Gum Strawberry by Mentos carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 3 flagged ingredients in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, Sour Gum Strawberry is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Sour Gum Strawberry
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Isomalt
Sweetener
Cut Back
2
Sorbitol
Sweetener
Cut Back
3
Chewing Gum Base
4
Maltitol Syrup
5
Xylitol
HUMECTANT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Cut Back Approved
6
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
7
Less Than 2% Of: Maltodextrin
8
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
9
Artificial Flavors
10
Tartaric acid
Preservative
Safe
11
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
12
Aspartame
FLAVOR ENHANCER, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
13
Lecithin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
14
Soy
15
Strawberry Juice Powder
16
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
17
Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose
18
Colored With:
19
Turmeric
20
Carmine
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
21
Acesulfame Potassium
NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
22
Corn Starch
23
Carnauba Wax
24
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
25
Bht To Maintain Freshness

Full Ingredient List

ISOMALT, SORBITOL, CHEWING GUM BASE, MALTITOL SYRUP, XYLITOL, MALIC ACID, LESS THAN 2% OF: MALTODEXTRIN, GLYCERIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, TARTARIC ACID, COCONUT OIL, ASPARTAME, LECITHIN (SOY), STRAWBERRY JUICE POWDER, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE, COLORED WITH: (TURMERIC, CARMINE), ACESULFAME K, CORN STARCH, CARNAUBA WAX, SUCRALOSE, BHT TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS

Categories

Snacks Sweet snacks Confectioneries Chewing gum

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial