Mountain Dew, Soda

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, Mountain Dew, Soda scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Corn-Based Sweeteners (High Fructose Corn Syrup): HFCS is a hallmark of ultra-processed foods.
• Chemical Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness)): Synthetic preservatives are UPF indicators.
• Artificial Colors (Yellow 5): Synthetic colors are definitive UPF markers.
• Natural Flavors (Natural Flavor): Despite being natural, these are highly processed extracts.
• Other Additives (Caffeine, Sodium Citric): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.

Within Soda, this product is more processed than about 64% of the 6,804 products we've analyzed.

Processing classification reflects ingredient and additive analysis, not a judgment of any product's safety, quality, or healthfulness.

What These Ingredients Tell Us

We group Mountain Dew, Soda's ingredients into ingredient categories and note how each relates to food processing. The notes below describe the category, not this specific product's formulation.

Stabilizers & GumsUPF marker

In this product: Gum Arabic.

Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Citric Acid.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

MineralsProcessing indicator

In this product: Calcium Disodium Edta.

Added minerals often compensate for processing.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Brominated Vegetable Oil.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.