red
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Trans-fat source. Banned/restricted by FDA, EU and most jurisdictions due to cardiovascular risk.
Low Tox Gear · Scanner
Caramel chocolate candies, caramel
Is Mars Caramel chocolate candies, caramel low tox? Our scanner flagged 5 ingredients (1 in the avoid tier, 4 caution) on its published label, screened against our 237 source-cited chemical rules.
1 avoid4 caution
5 ingredients flagged
What we flagged
amber
Diglycerides
Industrial fatty-acid emulsifier shown to disrupt gut mucus barrier and microbiome in mouse models. Ubiquitous in baked goods and chocolate.
amber
Includes Blue 1 Lake
Coal-tar derived dye; absorbed through compromised gut barrier.
amber
Yellow 6
Hyperactivity link in childhood studies; warnings required in EU.
amber
Yellow 5
Implicated in childhood hyperactivity (Southampton study) and MCAS reactions.
Full ingredients (from label)
Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial and natural flavors)sugarcorn syruphydrogenated palm kernel oilmilkfatskim milkcornstarchless than 1% - lactosedextrinsaltmono and diglyceridescoloring (includes blue 1 lake, yellow 6, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1)carnauba waxchocolateartificial flavorgum acacia.
How this analysis is generated
Each ingredient on this product's published label is matched against our 237 source-cited chemical rules, each documenting a concern from peer-reviewed research and regulatory sources. Severity tiers:
- Avoid (red) — banned or restricted in the EU, UK or Canada but still legal in the US, IARC-listed, or strong contact-allergen evidence.
- Caution (amber) — regulatory caution, contamination risk, or condition-specific irritant.
- Mild (green) — low concern but commonly avoided in low-tox formulations.
Each flag links to its primary chemical-level source, and each condition pill links to a PubMed-indexed paper that discusses the chemical class in the context of that condition. Every citation is a real peer-reviewed paper — we don't link to Wikipedia or PubMed search pages. Some pairs use a topically-broad paper (e.g. a fragrance-allergen patch-test review) rather than a single-pair study where the literature is thin. The full evidence chain (chemical → mechanism → condition → paper) is one click away.
This is automated analysis of a published label, not medical advice — always verify the label yourself before changing products. Methodology and source list at scan.lowtoxgear.com.