Fruity Pebbles Is One Of The Worst Gluten-Free Cereals

There are some ultra-processed foods we know are terrible, not just for our health, but also for our taste buds thanks to their unnatural smells, colors, and flavors. Yet, it's these very characteristics, along with a strong dose of childhood nostalgia, that keep us coming back to these types of packaged foods. Fruity Pebbles cereal is a prime example.

It's not just one of the worst gluten-free cereals around, but probably one of the worst cereals in general. And yet, many people can't stop themselves from buying it. At this point, it is common knowledge that cereal products designed for children are almost guaranteed to be laden with sugar — it's inevitable and something we should accept — so, that's not the main issue with Fruity Pebbles.

The real problem is the texture of the cereal, or lack thereof, and the fact that every spoonful is a loaded with artificial dyes. According to an analysis of , The Takeout's reviewer noted that Fruity Pebbles cereal basically did a disappearing act once it touched milk, transforming into what was described as "little soaked scraps of rainbow-colored construction paper." This stands in stark contrast to the cereal's original texture which remained crisp even when soaked with milk.

Other people across the internet agree; there are several discussions online where people decry the new texture of Fruity Pebbles and wonder whether the brand has changed its recipe. While you won't find Post Consumer Brands (Fruity Pebbles' parent company) officially acknowledging a recipe change, you will find people suggesting a change has taken place on both Reddit and the Fruity Pebbles website itself. Suffice to say, fans are not happy about the cereal's new texture.

What food dyes does the cereal contain? As for artificial dyes, Fruity Pebbles' ingredient list reveals the use of Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Blue 1. The debate on the side effects of artificial dyes, particularly in adolescents, has been ongoing for decades, but in recent years there's been much more attention paid to this topic. reported the findings from a comprehensive evaluation of all available studies on the health effects of regular, long-term consumption of artificial dyes on both animals and humans.

The findings concluded that artificial dyes could "cause or exacerbate neurobehavioral problems in some children." Additionally, studies have shown that Yellow 5 has been contaminated with the carcinogen benzidine. Perhaps because of all this research, aims to phase out a list of artificial dyes currently used in some foods, including several that are used to make Fruity Pebbles cereal.

If either the alarming number of artificial food dyes, or the cereal's texture, has you concerned, you can rest assured that there are plenty of other texturally superior gluten-free (and gluten-containing) cereals that are made with better ingredients, like natural food colorings. One such Fruity Pebbles alternative is Cascadian Farm's Fruity Crispy Rice Cereal. Cascadian Farm also sells gluten-free Fruitful O's, which are a great alternative for those who have an intolerance to gluten.

Another great gluten-free alternative is . Recommended.