Pop-Tarts are another item I badly want to see removed from our school lunch menus and cafeterias. They are a classic example of highly processed, pre-packaged, low-nutritional junk being sold in our supermarkets.
For those unfamiliar people (most of the world outside the U.S.), Pop-Tarts are made by Kellogg’s and marketed as a quick, easy-to-prepare breakfast or snack in the United States.
They are branded as ‘cool’ breakfast toaster pastries (if you really want to call them that), but they are actually an insult to breakfast-eating people everywhere.
Pop-Tarts are filled with very sweet fillings, often fruit-flavored or chocolate, and encased in a super thin, cardboard-like pastry crust.
Not only that, but some varieties have icing and decorative sprinkles on top.
Very High Sugar Content
There is much to unpack with the extremely high sugar content.
One serving of Pop-Tarts (two pastries) contains about 30 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor. These are all extra-added sugars in the form of:
- sucrose (plain sugar),
- corn syrup,
- dextrose, and
- high-fructose corn syrup!
This means a single serving can quickly meet or exceed the recommended daily limit for added sugars (25 grams for women, 36 grams for men, according to the American Heart Association) (“How Much Sugar Is Too Much?,” 2019).
For kids, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends:
Aim for less than 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day for children 2 years of age and older. (Korioth, 2019)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), kids who are eating more sugar than they should are at an increased risk of weight gain, dental problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
The AAP and common sense advise parents to avoid giving kids foods with added sugars (Korioth, 2019).
High In Calories
Each single (one) Pop-Tart is about 190–210 calories so that a two-pastry serving can reach between 380–420 calories. This is an extremely unhealthy amount of calories.
Eating this as a snack or breakfast without balancing it with other nutrient-dense foods can quickly lead to overeating and weight gain.
Low In Fiber
Because they are made with bleached and enriched flour, Pop-Tarts contain little fiber.
As an example, a single Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart (1 pastry) contains:
Carbohydrates: ~37 grams.
- Sugars: ~16 grams.
- Fiber: <1 gram (almost no fiber to slow down digestion).
If you eat the entire pouch (2 pastries), you’ll consume 74 grams of carbohydrates, of which over 30 grams are sugar.
This combination of high sugar and low fiber can cause blood sugar spikes, followed by crashes, leading to fatigue and hunger soon after eating.
Refined Carbohydrates
The pastry shell of the Pop-Tarts is a mixture of refined and processed flours like enriched and bleached flour. Let’s take a look at both:
Enriched Flour:
Enriched flour is refined flour, which has had the bran and germ removed from whole wheat during processing.
This process strips away most of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals, mainly leaving starch. Enriched flour is flour to which Vitamins B, Folic Acid, and minerals like Iron are added back.
Bleached wheat flour:
This is also flour from which the wheat’s bran and germ are removed from processing.
This process also removes essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
It is then further processed into a fine powder and treated with harsh bleaching chemicals like benzoyl peroxide, potassium bromate, or chlorine.
Some of these bleaching chemicals have been linked to harmful effects in animal studies, and some are even illegal (Potassium Bromate) to use in foods in other countries, but the United States still allows them (Ajmera, 2019).
All this is done to speed up the aging of the flour, which can take a long time if done naturally. The result is a whiter, softer, and highly processed flour that also has a good shelf life.
Both of these flour are commonly used in highly processed baked goods and products like Pop-Tarts.
The combination of refined flour and added sugars gives Pop-Tarts a High Glycemic Index (GI), meaning they are digested quickly and cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels.
Long List Of Food Additives
Like many other highly processed foods on the market, Pop-Tarts also rely on a long list of food additives to improve their flavor, color, texture, and shelf life. These include:
Preservatives
- TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone):
A synthetic antioxidant that prevents oils in the product from going rancid. High doses in animal studies have shown potential links to cancer and other health issues. The Center for Science In The Public Interest advises people to avoid it altogether (“CSPI’s Food Additive Safety Ratings,” 2024).
- BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene):
This is used as a preservative to prevent spoilage. It is banned or restricted in some countries due to possible carcinogenic effects. The Center for Science In The Public Interest advises people to use it cautiously (“CSPI’s Food Additive Safety Ratings,” 2024).
Artificial Colors
Many of the Pop-Tarts contain artificial food colors to give them their bright and fun colors, especially in the icing and sprinkles. These vibrant colors make the pastries more visually attractive, especially to children.
Artificial dyes are cheaper and more stable than natural colorants.
These dyes are synthetic chemicals approved for use in food products, but some studies have linked them to various health concerns.
For more on the safety of artificial colors, please read: https://grosseating.com/the-use-of-artificial-colors-in-our-food-supply/
Some of the artificial colorings used in Pop-Tarts include:
Red 40,
Red 40 lake,
Blue 1,
Blue 1 lake,
Blue 2 lake,
Yellow 6,
Yellow 5 lake,
Yellow 6 lake
Thickeners, Stabilizers & Emulsifiers
These chemicals are responsible for giving the filling inside the Pop-Tarts a desirable consistency:
- Modified Cornstarch
- Glycerin
- Gelatin
- Soy Lecithin
- Xanthan Gum
- Carob Bean Gum
- Cellulose Gel
- Cellulose Gum
- Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
- Carrageenan
- Guar Gum
Flavor Enhancers
Artificial and natural flavorings give taste and improve the smell of Pop-Tarts.
For example, the apple flavor in the Frosted Apple Cinnamon Apple Jacks Pop-Tarts comes from apple powder.
The flavor in the Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tarts comes from a mixture of banana powder combined with acids.
Acidity Regulators
Acids like Citric and Malic are added to balance tartness and sweetness. They are often used in processed fruit fillings.
Use Of TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone) in Oil
Kellogg’s uses a chemical called TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone) in its soybean and palm oil to keep the oil from becoming rancid in its Pop-Tarts. For more on oil rancidity, please read: https://grosseating.com/deep-frying-in-bad-oil-how-to-spot-rancidity/
The safety of TBHQ in foods is questionable and requires more studies (Arezou Khezerlou, Amir pouya Akhlaghi, Alizadeh, Dehghan, & Maleki, 2022).
It is permitted in the United States at low concentrations but very tightly regulated in Europe, where concentrations are lower.
Chemicals Added For Shine
As if Kellogg’s needed to add more ingredients to their list, Confectioner’s Glaze and Carnuba Wax are also added to give shine or glaze to some varieties of Pop-Tarts.
You may know Confectioner's Glaze as Shellac, the shiny, waxy coating on Apples in stores.
The Final Verdict
I think anyone would be alarmed to look at the list of endless ingredients in Pop-Tarts.
Most of these ingredients are chemicals that are needlessly added to our food supply to improve the product’s shelf life but provide no real nutritional value.
While I understand that this is a free country and corporations get away with loose regulations compared to some other countries around the world, we, as consumers, are also free to not choose these subpar, unhealthy, chemically laced food products. Let's all eat better!
