Is Excel Spearmint Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Wrigley
This page reviews Excel Spearmint by Wrigley as a snack. Its current score is 30/100, suggesting that it has several flagged ingredients and may not suit cautious buyers.
If you want the short version, start with these flagged ingredients: Natural And Artificial Flavours, Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium.
30 / 100
Why score is 30
The composition includes several synthetic sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame-potassium, raising significant quality concerns. The presence of artificial flavors further indicates a highly processed product.
Main concern
Aspartame and acesulfame-potassium are artificial sweeteners linked to health concerns.
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 glycerin, which helps maintain moisture in the gum.
- Gum arabic acts as a stabilizer, providing texture and consistency.
Concerns
- Aspartame and acesulfame-potassium are artificial sweeteners linked to health concerns.
- Natural and artificial flavors may contain undisclosed synthetic components.
Who should avoid this product?
You may want to be cautious with this product if you are:
- people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity
Ingredients breakdown
The ingredient notes below are written to explain what each ingredient does in this snack and why it matters.
-
Is Sorbitol safe in this snack?
Medium
Sorbitol is used here as sweetener. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and humectant in this gum, but it can cause digestive issues in some individuals.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Sorbitol
-
Is Maltitol safe in this snack?
Medium
Maltitol is used here as sweetener. Maltitol is another sugar alcohol that provides sweetness but may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort for some consumers.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Maltitol
-
Is Gum Base safe in this snack?
Medium
Gum Base is used here as base. Gum base is a synthetic blend that provides chewiness but lacks nutritional value and raises concerns about artificial ingredients.
Role in formula: base
Original: Gum base
-
Is Glycerin safe in this snack?
Good
Glycerin is used here as base. Glycerin is a natural humectant that helps retain moisture, contributing positively to the texture of the gum.
Role in formula: base
Original: Glycerin
-
Is Gum Arabic safe in this snack?
Good
Gum Arabic is used here as stabilizer. Gum arabic is a natural gum used as a stabilizer, providing texture and consistency without significant health concerns.
Role in formula: stabilizer
Original: Gum arabic
-
Is Natural And Artificial Flavours safe in this snack?
Bad
Natural And Artificial Flavours is used here as flavor. Natural and artificial flavors can contain undisclosed synthetic components, raising concerns about transparency and potential allergens.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: Natural and artificial flavours
Read the full ingredient profile for Natural And Artificial Flavours
-
Is Mannitol safe in this snack?
Medium
Mannitol is used here as sweetener. Mannitol is a sugar alcohol that serves as a sweetener but may cause digestive issues in sensitive individuals.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Mannitol
-
Is Soy Lecithin safe in this snack?
Medium
Soy Lecithin is used here as emulsifier. Soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier, helping to blend ingredients, but it may raise concerns for those with soy allergies.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: Soy lecithin
-
Is Aspartame safe in this snack?
Bad
Aspartame is used here as sweetener. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener linked to various health concerns, including potential effects on individuals with phenylketonuria.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Aspartame
-
Is Acesulfame Potassium safe in this snack?
Bad
Acesulfame Potassium is used here as sweetener. Acesulfame-potassium is an artificial sweetener that raises health concerns due to its synthetic nature and potential long-term effects.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Acesulfame-potassium
-
Is Carnauba Wax safe in this snack?
Medium
Carnauba Wax is used here as coating. Carnauba wax is used as a coating agent to provide shine and protect the gum, but it is a processed ingredient with limited nutritional value.
Role in formula: coating
Original: Carnauba wax
-
Is Aspartame Contains Phenylalanine safe in this snack?
Bad
Aspartame Contains Phenylalanine is used here as sweetener. This reiteration of aspartame highlights its presence and the specific concern for individuals with phenylketonuria, emphasizing its health implications.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Aspartame (contains phenylalanine)
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: 3249493
More from this brand: Wrigley products in Zerotox
Similar products: snack in Zerotox database
Allergens detected: soy
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.