What is actually in that ingredients list
How to read the result
Ingredient lists are ordered by weight, so an item near the front is present in a quantity that could plausibly matter and an item near the end usually is not. The decoder cannot see that order for you, which is the single biggest thing to keep in mind when a long list comes back with four flags on it. Four trace flags and one leading flag are not the same product.
The uncertain flag is the one worth learning. Terms like natural flavoring and spices are legal umbrellas that can contain onion or garlic without listing either. They are not evidence of anything on their own. They become interesting when a product reliably bothers you and nothing else on the label accounts for it.
The full dictionary
Every rule the decoder uses, so the page is worth something with the tool unused. FODMAP groups are listed first because they carry the strongest evidence for gut symptoms. The emulsifier and gum entries sit on emerging mechanistic work rather than settled clinical evidence, which is a weaker claim and is meant to read as one.
| Ingredient | Flags as | Also appears as |
|---|---|---|
| Barley | Fructans | malt, malt extract, barley malt, malted barley |
| Chickpea Flour | GOS | besan, gram flour, soy flour, lentil flour, pea flour, lupin, lupin flour |
| Galacto-Oligosaccharides | GOS | galactooligosaccharides, gos |
| Garlic | Fructans Allium | garlic powder, garlic extract, dehydrated garlic, garlic juice |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup | Fructose | hfcs, glucose-fructose syrup, fructose-glucose syrup, isoglucose, fructose, fructose syrup, crystalline fructose, agave, agave nectar, agave syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, mango juice concentrate |
| Inulin | Fructans | chicory, chicory root, chicory root fiber, chicory root fibre, fructooligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, fos, oligofructose |
| Leek | Fructans Allium | shallot, spring onion, scallion, chives |
| Mannitol E421 |
Mannitol Sugar alcohols | — |
| Milk | Lactose | milk solids, milk powder, skim milk powder, skimmed milk powder, nonfat milk, whole milk, milk protein, whey, whey powder, whey protein, buttermilk, cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, lactose, milk fat, cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, mascarpone, processed cheese, cheese sauce, yogurt, yoghurt, casein, caseinate, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, curds, custard, kefir, milk chocolate, dulce de leche |
| Onion | Fructans Allium | onion powder, onion extract, dehydrated onion, onion juice |
| Rye | Fructans | — |
| Sorbitol E420 |
Sorbitol Sugar alcohols | — |
| Wheat | Fructans | wheat flour, whole wheat, wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, semolina, durum, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale, bulgur, freekeh, couscous, graham flour, breadcrumbs |
| Xylitol E967 · E965 · E953 · E966 |
Sorbitol Sugar alcohols | maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, polydextrose, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates |
| Alcohol | Alcohol | ethanol, wine, beer, rum, liqueur, brandy, sherry |
| Aspartame E951 · E955 · E950 · E954 · E952 · E961 |
Artificial sweeteners | sucralose, acesulfame, acesulfame potassium, acesulfame-k, ace-k, saccharin, cyclamate, sodium cyclamate, neotame, advantame |
| Caffeine | Caffeine | coffee, coffee extract, espresso, guarana, green tea extract, black tea, matcha, yerba mate, kola nut, cola nut |
| Carbonated Water | Carbonation | carbonated, sparkling water, carbon dioxide |
| Carrageenan E407 |
Emulsifiers and gums | — |
| Cellulose Gum E466 · E461 · E464 |
Emulsifiers and gums | carboxymethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cmc, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, methylcellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hpmc |
| Chili | Spicy | chilli, cayenne, capsaicin, jalapeno, hot pepper, chili powder, chilli powder, crushed red pepper, sriracha, harissa |
| Gellan Gum E418 |
Emulsifiers and gums | gellan |
| Guar Gum E412 |
Emulsifiers and gums | guar |
| Hydrogenated | High fat | partially hydrogenated, palm oil, palm kernel oil, shortening, lard, tallow |
| Konjac E425 |
Emulsifiers and gums | glucomannan |
| Locust Bean Gum E410 |
Emulsifiers and gums | carob gum, carob bean gum |
| Mono And Diglycerides E471 · E472 |
Emulsifiers and gums | monoglycerides, diglycerides, mono- and diglycerides, mono-and-diglycerides |
| Polysorbate E433 · E435 |
Emulsifiers and gums | polysorbate 80, polysorbate-80, polysorbate 60 |
| Sodium Alginate E401 · E405 |
Emulsifiers and gums | propylene glycol alginate, alginate |
| Sulfites E220 · E221 · E223 · E224 |
Histamine | sulphites, sodium sulfite, sodium metabisulfite, sodium metabisulphite, potassium metabisulfite, sulfur dioxide, sulphur dioxide, fermented, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, aged cheese, parmesan, blue cheese, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, autolysed yeast, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh, natto, anchovy, anchovies, salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, chorizo, cured, smoked, tomato paste, tomato puree, tomato concentrate, sun-dried tomato, worcestershire, mirin, sake |
| Tara Gum E417 |
Emulsifiers and gums | — |
| Xanthan Gum E415 |
Emulsifiers and gums | xanthan |
| Spices | Could hide anything | spice, natural flavors, natural flavor, natural flavoring, natural flavouring, seasoning, seasonings, vegetable powder, vegetable stock, vegetable broth, vegetable bouillon, dehydrated vegetables, flavoring, flavouring, bouillon, stock powder |
Minthe is a wellness and self-tracking tool, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and isn't a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have red-flag symptoms such as blood in your stool, unintentional weight loss, difficulty swallowing, persistent vomiting or a fever alongside gut symptoms, see a clinician rather than tracking them.
Frequently asked
Which ingredients hide onion and garlic?
The umbrella terms. "Natural flavors", "natural flavoring", "spices", "seasoning", "vegetable powder", "vegetable stock" and "bouillon" can all legally contain onion or garlic without naming either, because a manufacturer is not required to break down a compound flavoring into its parts. That is why this tool flags them as uncertain rather than clean. If a product bothers you repeatedly and nothing else on the label explains it, an umbrella term is the usual answer.
What is inulin doing in my protein bar?
Adding fiber cheaply and sweetening slightly. Inulin, chicory root fiber, oligofructose and FOS are the same class of molecule. They are fructans, the largest FODMAP group. A bar advertising high fiber and low sugar is very often doing it with inulin, which is why "healthy" snacks are a common and confusing trigger.
Are E-numbers bad for your gut?
Most are not. The ones this tool flags are flagged for specific reasons rather than because they are additives. E420 and E421 are sorbitol and mannitol, which are polyols and straightforwardly FODMAPs. E951 and E955 are aspartame and sucralose. The emulsifier and gum group, E466, E433, E407 and their neighbors, is on emerging evidence about the gut barrier and mucus layer rather than anything settled, which the page says where it lists them.
Does this tool tell me a food will bloat me?
No. That limit is the important one. It tells you what is present. Presence is not dose. Dose is not reaction. A trace of guar gum near the end of a list is a different thing from inulin near the start. Ingredient lists are ordered by weight, so position carries real information the tool cannot read for you.
Is my ingredients list sent anywhere?
No. The matching runs in your browser as ordinary string comparison against a dictionary that ships with the page. Nothing is transmitted, nothing is stored and there is no account. Close the tab and it is gone.
Why does it flag milk when the label says lactose free?
Because the dictionary matches words rather than context. Dairy also carries two separate suspects. Lactose is the FODMAP, which lactose-free milk has had removed. Casein and whey are still dairy and still bother some people. If lactose-free products are fine for you, that is a genuinely useful result rather than a false alarm.