Is Calpico Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Calpis
Calpis's Calpico is reviewed here as a soft drink. Zerotox gives it 30/100 based on the current ingredient profile, so it has several flagged ingredients and may not suit cautious buyers.
The ingredient review below focuses especially on Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil.
30 / 100
Why score is 30
The composition includes several synthetic additives such as artificial colors (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5) and hydrogenated palm kernel oil, raising significant quality concerns.
Main concern
High sugar content raises concerns about excessive sweetness and potential health impacts.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- Contains citric acid, which can enhance flavor and provide acidity.
- Sodium citrate acts as a buffering agent, helping to stabilize the product's pH.
Concerns
- High sugar content raises concerns about excessive sweetness and potential health impacts.
- Presence of hydrogenated palm kernel oil indicates the use of processed fats, which may pose health risks.
- Multiple artificial colors (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5) suggest a highly processed product with potential quality issues.
- Titanium dioxide is included, which is a synthetic additive that raises safety concerns.
Ingredients breakdown
Below, each ingredient is described in the context of this soft drink, not just listed as a raw label.
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Is Sugar safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Sugar is used here as sweetener. Sugar is a highly processed sweetener that contributes to excessive sweetness and potential health risks associated with high sugar intake.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Sugar
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Is Corn Syrup safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Corn Syrup is used here as sweetener. Corn syrup is a processed sweetener that can lead to similar health concerns as sugar, including obesity and metabolic issues.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: corn syrup
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Is Citric Acid safe in this soft drink?
Good
Citric Acid is used here as acidulant. Citric acid is a natural acid that enhances flavor and acts as a preservative, generally considered safe in food products.
Role in formula: acidulant
Original: citric acid
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Is Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil is used here as emulsifier. Hydrogenated palm kernel oil is a processed fat that raises concerns due to trans fats and potential health risks associated with its consumption.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: hydrogenated palm kernel oil
Read the full ingredient profile for Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
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Is Tapioca Dextrin safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Tapioca Dextrin is used here as thickener. Tapioca dextrin is a processed starch used for thickening, which may raise concerns about its processing but is generally safe.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: tapioca dextrin
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Is Modified Corn Starch safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Modified Corn Starch is used here as thickener. Modified corn starch is a processed ingredient used for thickening and stabilizing, raising some concerns about its processing.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: modified corn starch
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Is Natural And Artificial Flavors safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Natural And Artificial Flavors is used here as flavor. Natural and artificial flavors can be vague and may include synthetic components, raising concerns about their safety and quality.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: natural and artificial flavors
Read the full ingredient profile for Natural And Artificial Flavors
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Is Colors Red 40 Lake Blue 1 Lake Yellow 5 Lake Yellow 6 Lake Red 40 Blue 1 Yellow 5 Yellow 6 safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Colors Red 40 Lake Blue 1 Lake Yellow 5 Lake Yellow 6 Lake Red 40 Blue 1 Yellow 5 Yellow 6 is used here as colorant. These artificial colors are synthetic additives that raise safety concerns due to potential links to hyperactivity and other health issues.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: colors (red 40 lake, blue 1 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, red 40, blue 1, yellow 5, yellow 6)
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Is Titanium Dioxide safe in this soft drink?
Bad
Titanium Dioxide is used here as colorant. Titanium dioxide is a synthetic additive used for coloring that raises safety concerns regarding its potential health effects.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: titanium dioxide
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Is Sodium Citrate safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Sodium Citrate is used here as buffer. Sodium citrate is used to regulate acidity and enhance flavor, but its processing raises some concerns about quality.
Role in formula: buffer
Original: sodium citrate
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Is Carnauba Wax safe in this soft drink?
Medium
Carnauba Wax is used here as coating agent. Carnauba wax is a natural wax used for coating, generally considered safe but indicates some processing.
Role in formula: coating agent
Original: carnauba wax
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 2397306
More from this brand: Calpis products in Zerotox
Similar products: soft_drink in Zerotox database
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.