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Course:FNH200/Assignments/2026/Jell-O Chocolate Pudding Mix - Original vs Fat-Free

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Introduction

Kraft Jell-O Chocolate pudding is an instantly ready dessert mix that takes 5-minutes to prepare, commonly used to prepare cakes, pies, and no-bake desserts. It is a widely recognized brand is available in various flavours and dietary alternatives, including fat-free options. Our team aims to compare the two versions the Original Jell-O Chocolate Pudding mix versus the Fat-Free Jell-O Chocolate Pudding mix.

Possible Revised Version?:

Kraft JELL-O Chocolate Pudding is known for its rich chocolate flavour and smooth texture. The pudding mix can be prepared in approximately five minutes and is commonly used in desserts such as cakes, pies, and no-bake recipes, as well as enjoyed as a standalone dessert.[1]

The Original Chocolate Pudding and Fat-Free Chocolate Pudding versions provide consumers with two similar formulations that differ primarily in their nutritional composition and ingredient profiles. The Fat-Free version is designed to reduce fat content while maintaining the taste, texture, and overall characteristics of the original product.

The goal of this project is to compare the Original JELL-O Chocolate Pudding mix and the Fat-Free JELL-O Chocolate Pudding mix by examining their ingredient lists, nutritional information, and the roles of fat substitutes and food additives. Additionally, this comparison will evaluate how both products comply with Canadian food and labelling regulations.

Pictures of the Products

Jell-O Original Chocolate Pudding Mix[1]
Jell-O Original Chocolate Pudding Mix Nutrition Facts & Ingredients List[1]
Jell-O Fat-Free Chocolate Pudding Mix[2]

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Jell-O Fat-Free Chocolate Pudding Mix Nutrition Facts & Ingredients List[2]


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Ingredient lists (4 points)

1. Ingredients

Jell-O Fat Free Chocolate Pudding Mix Jell-O Original Chocolate Pudding Mix
Modified cornstarch Sugar
Cocoa Modified cornstarch
Sugar (corn maltodextrin) Cocoa
Disodium phosphate Disodium phosphates
Tetrasodium diphosphate Tetrasodium diphosphate
Natural and artificial flavour Artificial and natural flavours
Salt Corn starch
Xanthan gum Salt
Aspartame* Modified palm oil
Titanium dioxide Modified vegetable oil
Acesulfame-potassium Titanium dioxide
Tartrazine Mono- and diglycerides
Mono- and diglycerides Allura Red
Allura Red Tartrazine
Sunset Yellow FCF Brilliant Blue FCF
Indigotine

*Contains phenylalanine.

2. Substitutes and Additives Used

Category Jell-O Fat Free Chocolate Pudding Mix Jell-O Original Chocolate Pudding Mix
Sugar Substitutes Aspartame*

Acesulfame-potassium

None
Fat Substitutes None None
Additives Disodium phosphate

Tetrasodium diphosphate

Xanthan gum

Titanium dioxide

Tartrazine

Mono- and diglycerides

Allura Red

Sunset Yellow FCF

Indigotine

Disodium phosphates

Tetrasodium diphosphate

Titanium dioxide

Mono- and diglycerides

Allura Red

Tartrazine

Brilliant Blue FCF

3. Role of Substitutes & Additives

Jell-O Fat Free Chocolate Pudding Mix:

Sugar Substitutes:

  • Aspartame: A non-caloric artificial sweetener that is approximately 180-220 times sweeter than sucrose. It is composed of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Although aspartame provides approximately 4 kcal/g, only a small amount is needed to provide sweetness,the amount used in JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix (50 mg per serving) [3] contributes a negligible amount of calories. Additionally, aspartame does not significantly affect blood glucose or insulin levels, making it a useful sugar substitute in products designed for individuals seeking to reduce sugar intake or a lower-calorie alternative to sugar. Individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid aspartame because it contains phenylalanine. [4]
  • Acesulfame-potassium: A non-caloric artificial sweetener that is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose. It is not metabolized by the human body, and contributes virtually no calories. In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, acesulfame potassium is used at 25 mg per serving [3] making it a useful sugar substitute in products designed for individuals looking to reduce sugar or calorie intake. It is also considered non-cariogenic because it does not contribute to tooth decay.

Fat Substitutes: None

Additives:

  • Disodium phosphate: Commonly used as an emulsifier, preservative, pH control agent, and texture modifier in processed foods.[5] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, disodium phosphate aids in maintaining the desired pudding texture and consistency.
  • Tetrasodium diphosphate: An inorganic sodium salt commonly known as tetrasodium pyrophosphate. It is used in food products as a chelating agent, emulsifier, and thickening agent. [6] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, tetrasodium diphosphate helps maintain the desired pudding texture and consistency.
  • Xanthan Gum: Commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in processed foods. It is produced through the fermentation of sugars by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. [7] When added to foods, including JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, xanthan gum increases the viscosity and reduces phase separation, helping maintain the desired texture and appearance of the final product.
  • Titanium Dioxide: Commonly used as a colouring agent in processed foods. It is an odorless, white, naturally occurring mineral that is added to foods to improve colour, brightness, and opacity. [8] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, titanium dioxide contributes to the appearance of the final product by enhancing the brightness and opacity of the pudding.
  • Tartrazine: Commonly used as a colouring agent in processed foods. It is a synthetic yellow food dye, also known as Yellow No. 5, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. [9] Notably, the safety of tartrazine has been debated, with some studies suggesting a possible association between mixtures of artificial food colours, including tartrazine, and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children. [10] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, tartrazine contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour.
  • Mono- and diglycerides: Commonly used as emulsifiers in processed foods, mono- and diglycerides improve the stability and consistency of food products by helping prevent separation of ingredients. [11]In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, mono- and diglycerides help maintain a uniform texture by improving the stability of the pudding mixture. [1] However, recent observational research has investigated potential associations between the intake of emulsifiers and increased cancer risk, although further research is needed to strengthen the evidence and establish whether the association is significant. [12]
  • Allura Red: Commonly used as a colouring agent, it is a synthetic red food dye, also known as Red No. 40, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. [13] Similar to tartrazine, the safety of Allura Red has been debated, with some studies suggesting a possible association between mixtures of artificial food colours, including Allura Red, and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children.[14] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, Allura Red contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour
  • Sunset Yellow FCF: Commonly used as a colouring agent, it is a synthetic orange-yellow food dye, also known as Yellow No. 6, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. Similar to other artificial food colours, the safety of Sunset Yellow FCF has been debated, with some studies suggesting a possible association between mixtures of artificial food colours, including Sunset Yellow FCF, and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children. [14] Additionally, Yellow 6 may cause mild to severe hypersensitivity reactions in sensitive individuals. [15] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, Sunset Yellow FCF contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour.
  • Indigotine: Commonly used as a colouring agent, it is a synthetic blue food dye, also known as Blue No. 2, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal.[16] Similar to other artificial food colours, the safety of Indigotine has been debated, with some studies suggesting possible associations between mixtures of artificial food colours and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children. [14] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, Indigotine contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour.

Jell-O Original Chocolate Pudding Mix:

Sugar Substitutes: None

Fat Substitutes: None

Additives:

  • Disodium phosphate: commonly used as an emulsifier, preservative, pH control agent, and texture modifier in processed foods.[5] In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, disodium phosphate aids in maintaining the desired pudding texture and consistency.
  • Tetrasodium diphosphate: An inorganic sodium salt commonly known as tetrasodium pyrophosphate. It is used in food products as a chelating agent, emulsifier, and thickening agent. [6] In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, tetrasodium diphosphate helps maintain the desired pudding texture and consistency.
  • Titanium Dioxide: Commonly used as a colouring agent in processed foods. It is an odorless, white, naturally occurring mineral that is added to foods to improve colour, brightness, and opacity. [8] In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, titanium dioxide contributes to the appearance of the final product by enhancing the brightness and opacity of the pudding.
  • Tartrazine: Commonly used as a colouring agent in processed foods. It is a synthetic yellow food dye, also known as Yellow No. 5, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. [9] Notably, the safety of tartrazine has been debated, with some studies suggesting a possible association between mixtures of artificial food colours, including tartrazine, and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children. [10] In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, tartrazine contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and consistency of colour.
  • Mono- and diglycerides: Commonly used as emulsifiers in processed foods, mono- and diglycerides improve the stability and consistency of food products by helping prevent separation of ingredients. [11]In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, mono- and diglycerides help maintain a uniform texture by improving the stability of the pudding mixture. [1] However, recent observational research has investigated potential associations between the intake of emulsifiers and increased cancer risk, although further research is needed to strengthen the evidence and establish whether the association is significant. [12]
  • Allura Red: Commonly used as a colouring agent, it is a synthetic red food dye, also known as Red No. 40, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. [13] Similar to tartrazine, the safety of Allura Red has been debated, with some studies suggesting a possible association between mixtures of artificial food colours, including Allura Red, and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children.[14] In JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, Allura Red contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour
  • Brilliant Blue FCF: Commonly used as a colouring agent, it is a synthetic blue food dye, also known as Blue No. 1, that is added to foods to improve colour and visual appeal. Brilliant Blue FCF is extensively used in the food industry to colour products such as beverages, candies, dairy products, desserts, and processed foods. [17] In JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, Brilliant Blue FCF contributes to the colour of the final product by helping achieve the desired appearance and colour. However, like the other artificial food colours, the safety of Brilliant Blue FCF has been debated, with some studies suggesting possible associations between mixtures of artificial food colours and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children. [14]

4. Comparison of the Two Ingredient List

Similarities:

Both products contain several of the same basic ingredients: Modified cornstarch, Cocoa, Disodium phosphate, Salt, Artificial and natural flavours, Titanium dioxide, Mono- and diglycerides, Allura Red, Tartrazine. Both products also contain blue food colouring, the regular Jell-O contains Brilliant Blue FCF, while the fat-free Jell-O contains Indigotine.

These shared ingredients help create the main characteristics expected from instant chocolate pudding. They provide chocolate flavour, color, thickness, stability and a smooth texture. Both products use modified cornstarch as a thickening ingredient. This is necessary because instant pudding must become thick after it is mixed with milk without requiring cooking. Both products also use phosphates and mono- and diglycerides. These ingredients help the mixture set correctly and remain smooth after prepartion.

Differences:

The difference is the position of sugar in the ingredient lists. Sugar is the first ingredient in the regular version. In comparison, modified cornstarch is the first ingredient in the fat-free version. This is reflected by the front of package nutrition symbol stating the product is high in sugars for the regular instant pudding, and not for the fat-free instant pudding. Canadian food-labelling rules generally require ingredients to be listed in descending order by weight. Therefore, the different order suggests that sugar makes up a larger part of the regular dry mix.[18]

The regular version also contains modified palm oil. These ingredients are not found in the fat-free version. Their main role is to provide a richer texture. Because these oils are removed from the fat-free product, the manufacturer uses a different combination of ingredients. The fat-free version contains xanthan gum and modified cornstarch, which provide thickness.

The fat-free product contains aspartame and acesulfame-potassium, while the regular product mainly depends on sugar for sweetness.

The combination of food colouring additives differs between the two products. Both instant puddings have the same red food colouring Allura Red. However, the regular instant pudding has a bright blue colour additive, Brilliant Blue FCF, while the fat-free instant pudding has a dark blue colour additive, Indigotine, plus a yellow colour additive, Sunset Yellow FCF.

Overall, the fat-free product has a longer and more complex ingredient list. More ingredients are used to maintain sweetness, thickness, color and stability after the oils are removed.

Labels (1 points)

  1. Provide detailed description of the information found on the labels
  2. Indicate whether the information complies with the regulatory requirements as outlined in Lesson 04.

Personal Choice (5 points)

Please submit your individual component of this assignment on Canvas to protect your privacy and your personal opinion

References

Please use the Wikipedia reference style. Provide a citation for every sentence, statement, thought, or bit of data not your own, giving the author, year, AND page.

Note: Before writing your wiki article on the UBC Wiki, it may be helpful to review the tips in Wikipedia: Writing better articles.[19]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kraft Heinz Canada. (n.d.). JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix. [online] Available at: https://www.kraftheinz.com/en-CA/jell-o/products/00066188118319-chocolate-instant-pudding-mix[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kraft Heinz Canada. (n.d.). JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix. [online] Available at: https://www.kraftheinz.com/en-CA/jell-o/products/00066188047008-fat-free-chocolate-instant-pudding-mix [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Walmart Canada. (n.d.). JELL-O Fat Free Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix, 40 g Box. [online] Available at: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Jell-O-Fat-Free-Chocolate-Instant-Pudding-Mix-40-g-Box/10306315?utm_source=chatgpt.com[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  4. ↑ Healthline. (2023). Aspartame Side Effects: Separating Fact from Fiction. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects (Accessed: 21 July 2026).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Noah Chemicals. (2019). How Disodium Phosphate Enhances Processed Foods. [online] Available at: https://www.noahchemicals.com/how-disodium-phosphate-enhances-processed-foods/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 PubChem. (n.d.). Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate. [online] Available at: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Tetrasodium-Pyrophosphate [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  7. ↑ Healthline. (2025). Xanthan Gum: Is This Food Additive Healthy or Harmful? [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/xanthan-gum [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Healthline. (2023). Titanium Dioxide in Food: Should You Be Concerned? [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/titanium-dioxide-in-food[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Healthline. (2025). Yellow 5: What It Is, Health Effects, Cancer Risk, and More. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/yellow-5 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 tevens, L.J., Burgess, J.R., Stochelski, M.A. and Kuczek, T. (2012). Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for. Neurotherapeutics, 9(3), pp.599–609. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3441937/[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Healthline. (2025). What Are Emulsifiers? Types, Uses, and Health Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/what-are-emulsifiers#examples [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sellem, L., Srour, B., Javaux, G., Chazelas, E., Chassaing, B., Kesse-Guyot, E., Alles, B., et al. (2022). Food additive emulsifiers and cancer risk: results from the French prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. European Journal of Public Health, 32(Supplement_3), ckac129.015. [online] Available at: https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/32/Supplement_3/ckac129.015/6765396 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Healthline. (2025). Red Dye 40: Safety, Side Effects, and Food List. [online] Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Stevens, L.J., Burgess, J.R., Stochelski, M.A. and Kuczek, T. (2012). Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for. Neurotherapeutics, 9(3), pp.599–609. [online] Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3441937/[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  15. ↑ Center for Science in the Public Interest. (2016). Synthetic Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks. [online] Available at: https://www.cspinet.org/sites/default/files/attachment/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  16. ↑ International Association of Color Manufacturers. (n.d.). Color Profile: Indigotine (FD&C Blue No. 2). [online] Available at: https://iacmcolor.org/color-profile/indigotine-fdc-blue-no-2/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  17. ↑ Ataman Chemical. (n.d.). Brilliant Blue FCF. [online] Available at: https://www.atamanchemicals.com/brillant-blue-fcf_u25371/[Accessed 21 Jul. 2026].
  18. ↑ "Food and Drug Regulations (C.R.C., c. 870), Section B.01.008.2". Justice Laws Website. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
  19. ↑ En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Writing better articles. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Writing_better_articles [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].


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