Meijer, light ice cream, butter pecan

diglycerides

Emulsifier; can contain trans fats not captured on the nutrition label; ultra-processed marker.

artificial flavor

Catch-all for synthetic flavor chemicals; regulatory threshold does not address cumulative exposure

maltodextrin

Ultra-processed starch derivative; very high glycemic index; may disrupt gut bacteria.

cellulose gum

Synthetic emulsifier; animal studies link it to microbiome disruption and inflammation.

natural flavors

Vague term masking hundreds of possible compounds; may include MSG, beaver anal gland secretions, and other sources.

carrageenan

Intestinal inflammation; may exacerbate IBS; degraded form is carcinogenic.

vitamin a palmitate

May enhance tumor development when applied on skin exposed to UV; avoid in daytime SPF products.

sucralose

May alter gut microbiome; studies show possible DNA damage at high doses.