NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Wendyl wants to know: Playing fast and loose with sugar and spices

By Wendyl Nissen
NZ Herald·
3 May, 2014 03:01 AM7 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Pop tarts have an eye-watering 46 ingredients including some questionable colouring. Photo / Wendyl Nissen

Pop tarts have an eye-watering 46 ingredients including some questionable colouring. Photo / Wendyl Nissen

Opinion by Wendyl NissenLearn more
Kellogg's Pop Tarts Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae — $2.29 for two toaster pastries

Two of our sweet-toothed kids used to devour these in the 90s. They would pop them in the toaster and away they'd go.

Part of me didn't want to pull these off the supermarket shelf and analyse them because of the guilt that I knew I would have to endure.

These are a highly processed product and it took me a long time to decipher every ingredient because the label did not use food number codes and I had never come across some of the additives before.

Ingredients

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Enriched flour — (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamine mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid)

This is flour which has been fortified with vitamins and folic acid. This is part of the reason the packaging can claim "Good source of 7 vitamins and minerals."

• Corn syrup — This is the most common form of sugar used in processed foods in the United States.

• Sugar — These are frighteningly high in sugar. Both toaster pastries come in as one serve on the label which is 96g. You will get 24g or just under six teaspoons of sugar if you eat both.

• Soybean and palm oil — (with TBHQ for freshness) TBHQ or tertiary butylhydroquinone is an antioxidant used to preserve oils. There are many conflicting studies attached to this additive — some claiming it is carcinogenic in high doses and others saying it has the opposite effect.

• Dextrose — This is another form of sugar.

Discover more

Opinion

Wendyl wants to know: Artificial sweetener spoils frozen treat

07 Mar 04:30 PM
Lifestyle

Wendyl wants to know: Artificial colours, salt, ruin healthy meal

14 Mar 04:30 PM
Lifestyle

Wendyl wants to know: Tenderising alters more than texture of chicken

21 Mar 03:15 PM
Opinion

Wendyl wants to know: Unpalatable surprises in Easter treats

28 Mar 10:22 PM

• High Fructose Corn Syrup — Another form of sugar.

• Fructose — More sugar.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Glycerin — This is a natural substance which acts as a humectant in processed foods which means it helps to keep them moist.

• Polydextrose — Contains 2 per cent or less of polydextrose. Polydextrose is a synthetic soluble fibre which is often added to processed foods to increase the product's fibre. You will get 3g of fibre in this Pop Tart.

• Cocoa (processed with alkali) — Cocoa which is processed with alkali is much less acidic, has a milder flavour and is darker in colour than natural cocoa.

• Modified corn starch — Modified starch is ordinary starch which has been altered chemically to make it more thick or jelly like.

• Salt — There is 380mg of sodium per 96g serve of this product which is quite high.

• Calcium carbonate — This is basically chalk and counts as a mineral.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Cornstarch — This is the same as cornflour and is probably in here as a thickener.

• Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate) — These additives are in here to help the product rise. Baking soda is a common ingredient, sodium acid pyrophosphate is related to phosphoric acid and monocalcium phosphate is a common leavening product in dough products.

• Mono and diglycerides — These are synthetic fats produced from glycerol, natural fatty acids and other organic acids.

• Hydrogenated palm kernel oil — Hydrogenated means that the oil had been treated with hydrogen gas to be partly solid at room temperature

• Sodium stearoyl lactylate Gelatin — This is a natural substance usually taken from animals which acts as a humectant in processed foods keeping them moist.

• Colour added — Not sure why this is in the ingredients list, as there certainly are colours added but they come later in the list.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Soy lecithin — This is a natural emulsifier.

• Natural and artificial flavour — Good to see some natural flavour in here but there is also artificial flavours.

• Datem — This is a trade name for an emulsifier derived from tartaric acid and the aforementioned mono and diglycerides. It is mainly used in baking.

• Carnauba wax — This is a natural wax, often used to give a sheen to confectionary products.

• Xanthan gum — A natural gum.

• Vitamin A — This will be added in here for extra nutrition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Palmitate — I haven't come across this one before but my research tells me that it is an antioxidant and a vitamin A compound which contains palmitic acid. A World Health Organisation 2003 report on Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases found convincing evidence that palmitic acids contribute to an increase in cardiovascular disease risk.

• Niacinamide — This is a form of vitamin B3.

• Yellow 6 lake — This is sunset yellow which uses the food code 110 on our labels. It was included in a voluntary phase-out called for by the UK's Food Standards Agency and an EU-wide health warning must now be put on any food or drink that still contains these colours as they are thought to cause hyperactivity in some children.

The "lake" added to the name means the colour works differently to a dye. It tints by dispersion and a lake colouring is more stable than a dye which means they perform better in products containing fats.

• Blue 2 lake — This is indigotine which uses the food code 132 on our labels and is a blue food colouring. It is also a lake colouring, as above.Caramel colour This doesn't tell us which caramel colour is used 1,11,111 or 1V. One is the safest.

• Reduced iron — This will be added in here for extra nutrition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Red 40 lake — This is allura red which used the food code number 129 on our labels. As with sunset yellow this was included in the UK voluntary phase-out and must carry a warning in the EU. It is a lake colouring, as above.

• Yellow 5 lake — This is tartrazine which used the food code number 102 on our labels. This colour was also included in the UK voluntary phase-out and must carry a warning in the EU. It is a lake colouring, as above.

• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride) — Added for extra nutrition.

• Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) — Added for extra nutrition.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine hydrochloride) — Added for extra nutrition.

• Red 40 — This is allura red, as above. It is a dye, not a lake colouring.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Yellow 5 — This is tartrazine, as above. It is a dye, not a lake colouring.

• Yellow 6 — This is sunset yellow, as above. It is a dye, not a lake colouring.

• Blue 2 — This is indigotine, as above. It is a dye, not a lake colouring.

• Blue 1 — This is brilliant blue which uses the food code number 133 on our labels. It is an artificial flavour which has been the topic of many studies, most recently by the European Food Safety Authority and is currently allowed in foods.

My recommendations

I counted 46 individual ingredients in this product (I didn't count the double-ups but did include each individual colour as lake and dyes are different).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Apart from all the artificial colours which have been voluntarily phased out in the UK and must carry a warning in the EU, the sugar content at just under six teaspoons was enough to encourage people not to buy these for their kids.

When I opened the packet the toaster pastries broke, and smelled terrible. I wasn't about to let anyone in my house eat them so they went in the bin. I am left asking what's wrong with a bit of toast and some good quality peanut butter for a snack?

In short

• A staggering 46 ingredients.
• Uses colours voluntarily phased out in the UK and must carry a warning in the EU.
• Just under six teaspoons of sugar per serve.

Do you have a food product you would like to feature in Wendyl Wants to Know? Email wendylwantstoknow@gmail.com with suggestions. Unfortunately Wendyl cannot correspond with readers.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

The high-protein food boom: What it means for NZ consumers

03 Jul 10:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

The surprising health benefits of magic mushrooms

03 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

A loved one was diagnosed with dementia. Now what?

03 Jul 06:00 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

The high-protein food boom: What it means for NZ consumers

The high-protein food boom: What it means for NZ consumers

03 Jul 10:00 PM

Nutritionist Nikki Hart says protein helps muscles, immune system, and hormone production.

Premium
The surprising health benefits of magic mushrooms

The surprising health benefits of magic mushrooms

03 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
A loved one was diagnosed with dementia. Now what?

A loved one was diagnosed with dementia. Now what?

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP