Smart Sweets Caramels
At a glance
Summary
Smart Sweets Caramels score 35/100. Third-party 2025 testing detected 240 ppb arsenic — unexpected given the brand's 'healthier' positioning. The ingredient panel is genuinely cleaner than any mass-market candy on this list: real butter, heavy cream, allulose, stevia, and no petroleum dyes or artificial flavors. The arsenic reading substantially undermines the 'clean label' promise, and chicory root fiber can cause GI distress in sensitive individuals. Nova 4 still applies due to the allulose + fiber syrup matrix. Owned by Smart Sweets / Tiny Miracles Confectionery.
Contaminants 1
Source: Independent third-party laboratory testing
Arsenic 240 ppb High
Detected at a high level — at or above health-based exposure limits. Regular exposure at this level is a genuine health concern. No safe level of arsenic exposure exists; chronic exposure is linked to increased cancer risk (lung, skin, kidney, bladder), cardiovascular disease, and neurodevelopmental harm in children.
Independent third-party testing detected arsenic at 240 parts per billion — a notable contamination level.
Key ingredients 12
Tapioca SyrupBad
Refined sugar syrup.
See more about Tapioca Syrup →Sunflower LecithinBad
Sunflower-derived emulsifier — cleaner than soy lecithin but still a refined, processed additive. Scout classifies lecithin emulsifiers as bad.
See more about Sunflower Lecithin →Natural FlavorBad
Umbrella term that can hide dozens of undisclosed synthetic flavor constituents.
See more about Natural Flavor →Chicory Root Fiber (Inulin)Neutral
Prebiotic fiber; can cause GI distress (bloating, gas, diarrhea) at typical candy serving sizes in sensitive individuals.
See more about Chicory Root Fiber (Inulin) →AlluloseNeutral
Rare-sugar sweetener — neutral: no penalty, no praise (2026-08-25 ruling).
See more about Allulose →Soluble Corn FiberNeutral
Processed prebiotic fiber.
See more about Soluble Corn Fiber →SaltNeutral
Sodium.
See more about Salt →Steviol Glycosides (from Stevia Leaf)Neutral
Natural zero-calorie sweetener from the stevia leaf. No significant health concerns, but Scout treats all stevia forms as neutral — neither penalized nor counted as a beneficial ingredient.
See more about Steviol Glycosides (from Stevia Leaf) →Butter (Cream, Salt)Good
Real dairy fat — fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K; butyrate. Genuine whole-food ingredient.
See more about Butter (Cream, Salt) →Heavy CreamGood
Whole-food dairy fat.
See more about Heavy Cream →Coconut OilGood
Whole-food saturated fat with medium-chain triglycerides.
See more about Coconut Oil →Whey Protein IsolateVery Good
Bioavailable complete protein.
See more about Whey Protein Isolate →Processing
Ultra-Processed Foods
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