This article, Uncovering the Truth about Walden Farms is from 2010. A LONG time ago.
While I know many still wonder is Walden Farms bad for you, I understand that many use it and love it.
And that’s ok.
You’re allowed to love it and use it. I personally do not love it, have tried it since the original article several times and still can’t find much to love.
Please understand I am a food blogger and I make many of my own items including condiments and sauces, so for me – it’s simply not good.
UPDATE: Please when reading this, keep in mind that it is now almost 10 years old. It is also ONE persons opinion and review.
It is okay to have a differing opinion, but it is not necessary to be rude or nasty in a comment.
You don’t have to agree with how I feel or how anyone else feels.
For some, I am aware that it is all they can use.
I’m not close minded, I just don’t like the idea of making people think it’s a healthy option, when technically it isn’t.
That’s was the original point.
January 30, 2010
Dieters, Natural Eaters, Fitness and Health nuts usually get quite excited when a new company enters the land of healthy eating.
They are eager to try the new products and go to great lengths to find them sometimes.
Even sometimes when its an “older” company but nobody has ever really heard of them and all of a sudden people start talking about them, in the chaos ensues and people are frantically trying to find the products to taste-test them on their own.
That happened recently on a fitness board that I frequent.
Meet the company, Walden Farms.
It’s been around since 1972 and I have seen it in grocery stores and other places for the past couple of years.
With my goal for healthier eating, I was bound to come across it, because that’s just what they claim their products are for.
On a quick glance, the company looks impressive, amazing… almost a little too good to be true.
They boast:
No Calories, Fat, Carbs, Gluten or Sugar of any kind!
It’s right there on their website for the world to see. Those words are truly a dieters dream, as well as a diabetics dream!
I mean, who doesn’t want to lose weight but still get to eat delicious foods at the same time. Especially when struggling with a disease.
No calories? Wow! But is it too good to be true?
In one word, yes.
But honestly I will let you be the judge of that.
From the company website:
Walden Farms irresistibly sweet calorie free specialties are prepared with real fruit extracts, concentrated natural flavors, rich cocoa and other natural ingredients, all sweetened with Splenda. Our savory specialties are made with hundreds of freshly ground herbs and spices, concentrated natural flavors and the finest aged imported and domestic vinegars.
The good news is, they wrote it right on their website.
Splenda.
Splenda is so darn bad for you.
I don’t even want to get into it you can google all about the horrors of Splenda.
Go ahead, its awful.
But it’s there and available and a lot of consumers use it and so do a lot of brands, putting it in their products which many people don’t read the ingredient list on.
I won’t lie, occasionally I do have something with Splenda in it – its in a lot of low cal, sugar free or no calorie products.
But the more I read on it, the more I really do not wish to consume the product at all, and I’m working on that.
But even if I overlook the fact that there is splenda in every single item they sell, there are other more problematic things to look at.
First they drag you in saying things like,
Save 330 calories a day, 10,000 calories a month and lose 34lbs a year!
That’s on their chocolate syrup they show dripping over a huge serving of vanilla ice cream.
I’m pretty sure that ice cream is going to counteract that chocolate syrup.
But if you eat everything in moderation as the old saying goes, you might be okay.
But you might not.
But again, this is not even as problematic as the ingredients in some of their products.
I mean honestly, why would you want to eat a peanut “spread” that doesn’t even have peanuts in it?
It’s FLAVORED to taste just like natural peanut butter. FLAVORED.
You can literally purchase a good blender and blend peanuts and make your own.
Controlling how much sugar goes in if any, if that’s what you need to watch, etc. In fact, homemade peanut butter is incredible and an experience you should definitely try.
But peanut FLAVORED spread? Uhm.
No thanks, because I’m pretty sure the other stuff you put in there with it, is simply awful – check out this next one.
Their strawberry spread features “strawberry flavor”, “natural flavors”, and cellulose gel (also known as Cellulose Gum) (this sounds so amazingly disgusting just reading it made me feel sick!) in addition to the ever-present Splenda.
So what is cellulose gel?
As a whole, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found no evidence that cellulose gum/gel is dangerous or hazardous and considers the additive generally safe.
Ok. That’s fine.
But did you know it’s indigestible?
We shouldn’t be putting things in our body that are not digestible. It’s just not a GOOD idea.
I guess it won’t kill you if that’s your thing.
Wouldn’t you rather just have real strawberry preserves?
The natural sugar in the REAL strawberry preserves might be higher, but its NATURAL sugar… not artificially concocted stuff.
Several of the products have maltodextrine, cellulose gel, several types of vegetable gums and one more little tidbit I learned along the way – only the suggested SERVING size contains no calories.
So if you use more, you’re getting some calories you might not realize were there!
And those serving sizes are often VERY tiny. Like as in, there’s no way you’d feel even close to satisfied or “full”.
In addition, I did some research on the reviews of the companies products.
I found more negative reviews than I did positive (though there are some positive – they look a lot like the ones in the comment section below).
However, the vast majority of the people said the food tastes “gross”, “inedible” “disgusting”, “tastes like battery acid”, “the texture is like eating paste” (and that was for marshmallow fluff) and a bunch more descriptions and adjectives – some not worthy to even be said on my site.
That in itself speaks volumes. Why would you want to spend your hard earned money on products that don’t taste good?
I mean, no offense but nothing I’ve tried has tasted even remotely like the real thing its pretending to be.
And most of it really is gross or has a weird aftertaste or the taste itself almost tastes like chemicals unless you mask or hide it in something.
There were a few compliments on some of the products, but for the most part, they seem to generally not taste good at all.
Good to know. I won’t be buying any. But if you do, I won’t judge you. I’m just passing along my research.
Hungry girl doesn’t even like it! Not that she’s not the be all end all of anything, but she is smart and she does her research.
And she TRIES it.
The saddest part about all of this, is that companies like Walden Farms give other good, solid, natural products a bad name.
Obviously you’ll do what you want, but this serves as a warning to what WF thinks is okay for us all to eat.
Yes, in some cases the products are cheaper than the natural stuff, BUT… shop around.
Look. It might be worth your health.
I’m still reeling from that disgusting description of strawberry spread!
Sounds like you haven’t tried them. I am diabetic and am very grateful to Walden Farms for letting me have some things I wouldn’t normally be able to eat. No, not all of their products taste good….I don’t particularly like the salad dressings, with the exception of the balsalmic vinegarette. The peanut spread is pretty good, especially in cooking. The chocolate syrup has been a lifesaver as is the fruit spreads I have tried. I know aspartame is dangerous, but the sucralose (Splenda) is not near as bad for you. My doctor and my nutritionist both opt for it over Equal type sweeteners. As with anything, moderation and common sense should be applied. Anything overdone is not good.
Brenda, I actually have bought several Walden Farms products. And even after I did and didn’t really like anything I tried (yes, salad dressing was one)…. I still did my homework and research. Honestly, it was a very, very fine split between those that actually liked the taste of the products, and those that don’t. And there are several products (the salad dressings) that most people don’t like.
So yes, I did try the products. I did not like them. My husband is diabetic so I understand the need for items like this, but natural things are STILL better than the fake chemicals they put in that stuff.
I am however, glad that you have found some items you enjoy. 🙂
Well one thing is for certain. Sugar is way worse for you than splenda. If you don’t believe me look up on Netflix on the “How it’s Made” show and find the episode where they make table sugar. 99% of table sugar is engineered man made chemicals. Hardly any of it actually comes from the sugar beet. Splenda is not as bad although it can be unhealthy. The best thing Walden farms could do is switch to Xylitol for their sweetener. This is recommended by dentists and is even found in some tooth pastes because it strengthens enamel. As far as weight loss goes walden farms is a good option over the high fructose corn syrup high sugar garbage. They are a bit overpriced in my opinion which is why Im looking up recipes on how to make their products myself without the unwanted chemicals.
Splenda is made from sugar just processed more and more. Very nasty and unhealthy. We don’t use sugar alcohols like Xylitol either. This is recommended by conventionally trained dentists that usually recommend fluoride as well. Sugar alcohols are chemicals. Keeping it really natural in our home for over 30 years!! Healthy family too!! Staying away from most new food inventions.
Wishing you folks good health as you stay away from chemicals!
Xylitol kills dogs. I don’t even want to know what it can do to our bodies. Ugh!
Onions kill dogs, chocolate kills dogs, grapes kill dogs. What’s your point?
So does chocolate. Good thing I’m not a dog
Everything is a chemical or chemical compound. You can’t just throw that word around like it’s bad or evil. Did you know dihydrogen monoxide is sprayed all over plants, even organic ones, while they’re growing? It’s in almost everything you consume! Get that chemical outta here! Everyone that has had DHMO in their food has died!
It’s water. I’m talking about water. Knock it off with the ‘chemicals are bad’ schtick. It’s really tiring.
Yesss well said!!!
Fluoride is straight up poison, it’s a neuro poison. Fluoride us trash and calcifies your pineal gland.
My mom was a diabetic and finally stopped all the sugar free junk. She lost weight and her diabetes was under better control then before. I will not be using any of this stuff. My doctor told me that I could have the regular stuff in moderation which is working for me.
I just finished writing a letter to Walden Farms with regards to their Sugar Free, Calorie Free Ketchup. I bought a bottle out of the bargain bin at a local grocery store a few weeks ago and loved it. The grocery store didn’t seem to be stocking the product anymore, so I went on Amazon, found it, and ordered six bottles. The minute I tasted some of the ketchup I ordered on Amazon, I gagged. Something was horribly wrong. I read the label and discovered the word SUCRALOSE tucked in discreetly at the end of the ingredients list. I still had the old bottle and checked the label. There was no Sucralose in the original bottle. Sucralose is spun hydrocarbons and an MD advised me years ago that ingesting Sucralose is tantamount to ingesting jet fuel. Walden Farms ruined a great product and I won’t be buying any of their products in the future.
I agree! No produces for me that sweeten with anything other than organic sugar or Pure Stevia!!!!!
Oops…..meant to say, “products”. just purchased Walden farms, chocolate Dip and Carmel syrup. Can only take a small amount at a time before it starts to taste like horrible chemicals. I only tried it because I’m on a no sugar low-carb diet. Won’t be purchasing it again. It tasted great at first, but now the tastes is just awful.
I hate that Sucralose is allowed in our foods. When are these Food Companies going to get it? Stop with the chemicals. Americans are trying to be healthy so we can live out the fullness of out days. Tired of the death by diet foods! We deserve better!
You do know that those “natural” sweetness are also made with chemicals right? And that organic produce is sprayed with chemicals too? That the water you drink is filled with chemicals? That no matter how much you filter it its impossible to filter out the chemicals? You do know that literally everything is made of chemicals or chemical compounds right? Your entire body… Chemicals… Your phone or computer, chemicals, that head of lettuce… Chemicals. Have I said it enough yet? Stop using the word chemicals as if it means “toxic substance” it doesn’t.
I’ve been able to maintain a 27 pound weight loss and I give credit to cutting sugars from my diet. Walden farms has helped tremendously. Cellulose is just plant fiber like grass, that humans can’t digest. I’m grateful they thought of using it. In a perfect world they will switch to stevia but I consider their products much better than the high fructose corn syrup and other crap out there. I use their pancake syrup and chocolate syrup on banana pancakes and it is excellent. Never going back to regular syrup ever. Today I am testing out my own ice cream made with Greek yogurt and Walden farms pancake syrup whipped together with stevia and vanilla with a stick blender. May work out just waiting for it to freeze 🙂
Laurie – How did the Walden Farms Pancake syrup turn out? Could you post the whole recipe? Greek yogurt and Walden Farms pancake syrup are some of my favorite foods.
Linda
Try 3 Zeros Salad Dressings which are great tasting! http://www.3-zeros.com
I’m assuming as a diabetic you are trying to avoid sugar. Just by avoiding processed bottled salad dressings you can do that. I make my own salad dressing that is healthy and tastes better than anything I’ve eaten out of a bottle.
3 Zeros salad dressings have sucralose also.
3 Zeros also has Sucralose, if that’s a concern
You need to know about Erythritol, and xylose . Erythritol is an expensive sugar alcohol that is 0 on the glycemic index, and xylose is a sugar with 8 on the glycemic index. I have been using both for years instead of regular sugar. I put mostly xylose in the bulk of pies, cookies, ice cream, and drinks. When I make candies I need Erythritol to keep Xylose crystalizing too quickly. These sweeteners taste great, and Xylose is something the body doesn’t use as an energy source, just cellular construction, so any extra you consume get flush out through the kidneys. Erythritol doesn’t even get absorbed in the small intestine and that’s why it’s a 0 on the glycemic index.
@Brenda, I’ve tried them, several of them, and all of them are completely and utterly disgusting and taste like they are all made up of chemicals. I’m glad you like them but I find them repulsive
hahaha just came across your blog I agree yuck! I jumped on board “$140.00 worth on board” when a friend raved about how fab they were, I will tell you what I do like… the list is short “the honey mustard mayo” the regular mayo was blah but I can stomach it when I add more mustard to the mix and the bacon ranch is ok if you add loads of cilantro to the blender 😀 what else there pancake syrup was … iffy but passable, no worse then the medifast and the chocolate syrup is also so so Ok so what I hated the most? The sweet onion dressing and french onion dip BY FAR I am at a loss of how to even eat it and I can fix almost anything… a Loss!!!!and the peanut spread here is the good news the peanut spread is ok as a sauce when you add it to the sesame dressing the bad news I have enough products to test crap like that out … ugh and I couldn’t eat the balsamic ” any of them and oh yes I have them all” as a dressing but I could use them as a marinade … my issue being they are sicky sweet. I have to say I don’t like it being advertised as family friendly I don’t want my kids eating it, Once I am done with this whole Ketosis thing I plan on picking my organic badge back up, If only fruitoise wasn’t sugar I would be a happy camper! Anyway just trying to find a way to use the Walden farm stuff I don’t know how to use lol so back to my online search!
I wish I could go back and edit my last post… The grammar police would have me put away lol
I really liked both of the salad dressings Ive tried. The chocolate syrup was not very good. The barbque sauce was edible but no treat. Im still trying their stuff. For no calories some of the stuff is worth it.
I don’t use the syrups and sauces, but I actually love the dressings…Ranch, Bacon Ranch, Ceasar, and Sweet Onion…on salad. I think they are a great alternative to high calorie salad dressing. They only downside is the cost. Still, I consider these dressings to be a significant factor in maintaining my 74 lb. weight loss.
I have also tried the dressinga, I like them, they have helped me loose my weight to.
Thanks for the article! I am really into healthy eating and am trying to loose some weight myself. I wanted to try some of the WF products but when I found out they have a faux strawberry syrup that offended me! Since when did fruit get a bad name? Thats just messed up, things like peanut butter, maple syrup, and strawberries are great, clean, whole foods. I somehow feel like if i start eating WF products i will die sooner from all te preservatives and unessecary junk. And as for Splenda in general I don’t see a reason for anyone who is not diabetic to be consuming it.
I agree. Honestly clean eating is a healthier way to lose weight and feel great then trying products designed to make there be less sugar in stuff. I understand the reason diabetic’s consume it, for some it is the only alternative, but the sheer amount of chemicals and other oddities in these products makes me steer clear.
This crap is horrible for you. Splenda is not good for you !! In large quantities it can cause all kinds of health problems down the road such as Gerd. My doctor told me to steer clear of this product. I personally think the taste of these products is discusting.
Salad dressing is horrible! I wondered why it tasted like Nutrasweet then I looked at the label! Threw it out immediately! Guess I’ll make my own!
I’m with you. Nasty stuff. It is definitely a much better option to simply make your own, and I think people don’t realize how easy it actually is to make your own salad dressing.
Sorry you had to taste that yucky stuff. LOL
50 lbs lost and counting… I have liked certain items and not others. I like the salad dressings, they have been a life saver for me but I can’t stand the peanut spread. Everyone has to find what works for them and this works for me. I have had all my numbers (good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, etc) checked and they have come out fine. I am overweight with no health problems yet but a strong family history of Diabetes and Heart Disease. I am 44 and trying to avoid these problem as I age. I still have another 75 lbs to go to meet my goal and Walden farms is going to help me get there. I am not married to using only natural ingredients to get me there, instead I am willing to do what it takes.
Congratulations on your weight loss so far. And good luck on the rest, I know how hard it is. If this works for you and it’s what you like, that’s fine, but my blog is really about using more natural ingredients which is why this entry exists. I’m a firm believer in freedom of choice though, so if it’s helping you, then keep at it!
Absolutely VILE product. Unbelievable how a company can call that food! I brought together with friends, 12 bottles of the stuff costing nearly $100!
Sometimes in an effort to loose weight we subject ourselves to all sort of torture. There is nothing more torturous than the taste of this product, all of which have been bined. VOM!
SHAME ON YOU WALDEN FARMS
I couldn’t agree more. My concern has always been more about the chemicals in the product that make it unhealthy. For some it is their only hope, and I understand that, but for people who don’t have health concerns, it is NOT the answer.
Beyond the chemicals of course, the stuff tastes nasty.
My son lost 35 lbs, not by eating artificial chemicals. He threw my Splenda in the garbage and replaced it with organic cane sugar. We are on a HEALTHY low fat diet. This includes exercise people ! I love junk food. I have changed my eating habits and lost 20 lbs thanks to my son. I use a lot of honey these days too. Not store bought, right from the hive, pure, raw, unfiltered. I also buy pure honey comb. Whn I get a sweet tooth, I just cut a chunk off and pop it in my mouth. Diebetics can eat honey off the comb. Unprocesed honey is so good for you ! I have honey from hives in Washington, tenn, Michigan, and Florida. I have been on the yo yo diets of fat free for years. In the end it doesn’t stay off. Healthy eating and exercise will maintain a healthy weight.
All of the comments are interesting and gives me something to consider. I steamed some apples this morning and instead of sugar added the Walden syrup. It was delicious
This still remains one of my most popular articles, and was written over 5 years ago. I haven’t thought of Walden Farms since about that time period. I honestly feel like this is all a personal choice, but I was still allowed to voice my own opinions. I know for many it is a huge part of their weight loss journey, diabetic solution, etc. I believe everyone has a choice.
I’m just wondering HOW they can claim it is calorie-free, carb-free when they use vegetable fiber (fiber IS carbs) and cornstarch in some/most of their products. Cornstarch has 117grams of carbs per measuring cup, even 1/8 of a cup has over 14 grams of carbs…
I know this is old, but they mean digestible carbs. Fiber is not digestible. Like some products show you net carbs.
I was never too sure about this company. I had wanted to try it because goodness knows I need all the help I can get. However I’m trying to reduce, well eliminate processed foods as much as humanly possible. What a challenged it has proved to be. Thank you so much for this detailed review you saved me the expense of even trying this out.
I have tried WF salad dressings, mayos, syrups, peanut spread, ketchup, seafood sauce, and bar b q sauce. The only one I really love is the maple pancake syrup. Many of the products are way too sweet for me. I tried to mix the peanut spread with real peanut butter, and that was an improvement in the taste and a way to cut caloreis. I have also mixed light mayonnaise with their mayo for chicken and tuna salad. I wish they would use stevia when they could.
Low fat Greek yogurt is your friend. We use Dannon light n fit, usually in a 5:1 ratio. Don’t even miss the mayo. We use it in our chicken salads and dips.
If you can find a reputable article on Splenda being bad for you, please do share. I use it regularly because I have not found definite evidence. If you have something concrete, please do share!
When I went on the HCG diet I was so thrilled to find Walden Farms products…….at first that is……Immediately, my first response was that everything tasted sooooooo SWEET!…….I kept throwing away all the sweet tasting ones and ended up with just a few….Which are fine….But THEN one day I took the time to actually look at all the ingredients!!! To my horror there was SURALOSE in a lot of them!!!! This toxic item is much sweeter, toxic and dangerous for diabetics than plain ole’ SUGAR CANE SUGAR!!
Splenda is in just about all there products. Customer Service said no it was not. Ummm lady its on the bottle was my rwply. She hung the phone up on me. Before the phone hung up I can hear her the woman chanting “I cant” Is that a hood term?
Not only does this stufd like crap. Customer sercice is horrible. Mean lack knowledge of the product. I placed an order the entire time on the phone with CS you hear laughter ebonics is the best way to describe the communication I had with them. I was giving a alias name. Why? Returned the products in person and was treated like a convict. 10 minutes went by before CS came to speak with me. Within the 10min I notice its black on black hate in that place.
I thought it was just me. Totally agree CS is the worst. Didn’t recieve my product called CS and was hung up on twice. Ask for a manger the woman claiming ro be the manager gave me a fake name. Where they do that at. Yes the dressings are awful the CS matches the taste….Ghetto
Walden Farms products aren’t going to taste just like the real thing, but a substitute for thing that we cant normally have on a diet. I encourage you to mix the product with something else, like regular peanut butter, with the WF peanut butter. That way you can have double what you would normally have. Reducing the calories greatly. Also I have mixed the ranch dressing up with normal ranch dressing, and used it and I was able to have a lot more dressing than I normally could have had. You just have to think out of the box with these products. They can be a very useful tool when losing weight.
The strawberry syrup is worse than anyone an imagine. I’ve now brushed my teeth and cannot get rid of it.
Some of you on here…so dramatic…
I have tried Walden Farms dressings and I love them. I have not however tried any of their other products. I didn’t even know they made anything but dressings. Now my curiosity is piqued and I will start looking for them, if for no other reason than just to try them. Will check back with you later on that score.
Thank you for letting me post.
I like their fruit syrups. Some of the other stuff such as marshmallow and peanut spread is nasty, though.
And I’d rather be strong and fit and have some occasional Splenda than be fat from too much sugar.
Those complaining about “chemicals” need to learn some basic science. Every substance in existence consists of chemical elements and/or chemical compounds.
if i hadnt gotten up to 248 lbs. i probably would not be using this product. but being on jenny craig i often get hungry. i use the “sweet” products daily, once a day usually. as for the dressings, sauces, nut butters etc…..not a big fan. but the sweet dips, syrups, jellies etc. help me curb my sweets cravings and ive now lost 41.5 lbs. i look at it as anything we eat, drink, breathe or do is going to kill us….nobody gets outta here alive
I like there raspberry dressing along with their zesty Italian, both are very good. I just ordered their chocolate and Carmel syrup, bbq sauce. I bought them off the Swanson website and they had really good reviews. My figures are crossed in hopes they are as good as they were saying. We all have different tastes….??
I was really surprised at this – I love the salad dressings – Onion, and the raspberry. both are great. I love the caramel. I agree, some of them are not awesome but I feel like that is true with any product –
Call me crazy but I love love love their Honey Dijon dressing and have liked everything I’ve tasted from them thus far. I haven’t tried the ketchup though. It’s yummy on my salads and an excellent way to maintain weightloss efforts and also helpful when you can’t have sugar especially diabetics. I know splenda isn’t the best thing in the world but it is 100% better than sugar so yeah I’ll take that over sugar anyday. I also use it on my coffee so I guess I am biased.
To each is own but I love their Thousand Island and Ranch dressing. And they helped me lose 20 pounds without feeling deprived 🙂
Splenda is a lot better than sugar and these are very good products for dieters. Some of their products are better when you do things to them. Such as adding cocoa to the chocolate syrup and frezzeing the fruit jellies to make a no carb or calorie sherbet. There is a lot of nuttiness out there about splenda and chemicals and I am using these products for years and they have helped me to lose a lot of weight and my health is excellent. I am grateful for their products though I like some of them and do not like others.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Sucralose and Splenda are the same things. Splenda is the brand name version of sucralose products sold by McNeill Nutritionals. But, you’ll usually see generic sucralose at most grocery stores.
Also, sucralose is found in some brands of diet sodas, yogurt, and breakfast cereal. Individually-sized yellow sucralose packets are found in most restaurants and coffee shops. And, both Splenda and generic sucralose are heat stable so they can be used for baking and cooking at home.
How Is Sucralose Made?
Sucralose is made from regular white table sugar, which biochemically is known as sucrose. During the manufacturing process, three hydrogen-oxygen groups are replaced with chlorine atoms on every sucrose molecule. The resulting product is about 600 times sweeter than sugar, so only a tiny amount is needed to sweeten foods and beverages.
The addition of the chlorine also means your body doesn’t recognize it as sugar, so the molecules aren’t broken down, so the chlorine doesn’t break off. Also, almost all of the sucralose you consume passes through your digestive system without being absorbed. Sucralose is literally calorie-free.
Sucralose Safety Record
Sucralose has been used safely as an artificial sweetener for over 20 years. Canada was the first country to approve it for use in foods and beverages. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sucralose in 1998 after reviewing 110 scientific studies. It was approved for use by everyone including pregnant women and children.
Twenty years of follow-up research have shown sucralose to be safe for humans to consume and there don’t appear to be any problems with short-term or long-term use. Sucralose doesn’t seem to interact with other foods or medications.
Occasionally, someone will express concern about the addition of chlorine because it’s found in bleach. But, don’t let the chlorine scare you. Chlorine (as chloride) is also found in table salt, lettuce, and mushrooms. Not that it matters, since sucralose isn’t digested, the chlorine isn’t released into your system.
There are a few anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to sucralose and some very dubious websites claim sucralose ingestion causes several illnesses, including thymus damage. That claim is based on one laboratory study in which young rats with low-calorie laboratory diets were fed sucralose and suffered from shrinking thymus glands (the thymus gland is essential for immune system function).
But here’s the thing—that’s a typical response that rats have when they’re under stress due to weight loss, no matter what caused the weight loss, and it isn’t particular to sucralose consumption. Just to be sure, follow-up studies were performed and no evidence of immune system dysfunction was found.
Aisde from the somewhat bitter aftertaste, & overly syrupy consistency, which I could actually get passed if not for my reeling intestines after consumption of WF, I’d probably still use it. WF products are great for those who love it & have no side effects & terrible for those, like me who do. I get terrible gas after small amounts of WF products which I’m disappointed about because their pancake syrup is actually pretty good & for zero calories in 1/4 cup, it is (was) the perfect accompaniment to my protein pancakes. I literally has terrible pain in my intestines ALL. DAY. LONG. after eating the syrup. I waited a month or so & tried it just on a spoon. the same thing happened. I cannot consume their products of fake sugar. Either have the real deal in small amounts or simply omit it. I’m opting for the latter most days & on an occasion, I’ll have a small amount of the real deal. My guts thank me. To each their own. It seems like this was an eventful topic & I’m glad I missed its debut. It feels little hot in here after reading through everyone’s hater comments. Clearly THEY didn’t read the disclaimer “To each their own” <– probably not the actual quote, but pretty darn close. I can read between the lines. Just wanted to pop on to read this because I couldn't figure out what my problem was after I eat WF I feel terrible. I found the same was true for me after adding delicious, sugar free Torani to my beverages. Fake sugar is the DEBIL! Mama says 😉
I have liked everyone of their products I have tried. As someone with a list of medical problems (including pancreatic and liver damage) I am thankful for a sugar-free, carb-free, product that is also Cholesterol free. If you read the haters, they frequently complain it is too thin, but that is understandable. As for REAL peanut butter- it is high in fat and carbs and a luxery many can’t have, same with REAL fruit spread. For some of us it isn’t only about healthful and natural. I am also just one person with an opinion, though.
These are great to cook with. Yes they are thin but what do people expect. I have had a hard time finding them in most grocery stores. I have been in Florida this winter. I found the whole line at Publix. They are under 3 dollars a bottle. I plan to buy these to take home to NJ with me. I don’t understand why they are so expensive online.
I LOVE the Ranch Dressing & The Alfredo Sauce. I haven’t tried but a couple of others but I will stick to the two I Love.
Just recently bought 2 bottles from Kroger’s for $3.59 each. I was excited to see that this is free of calories, fat, cholesterol, carbs, gluten, and sugar. I’m about half-way done with the first bottle…and the taste is HORRIBLE!!!! I’ve stomaching it down because of the claims of being free of the bad stuff, but I can’t…I just can’t. I’m gonna look into making my own salad dressing from fruit, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
Although cellulose gum is not digestible, it just means you’ll let it out when you potty. usually you shouldn’t take in too much due to loose bowel movement. Some people actually use this to clean out. As far as splenda, no nutri sweet is ever really good. Equal which was used for a long long time contains aspartame derived from a byproduct of aluminum causes allergic reaction. and let’s not get started on sweeten low.. Having said that. I would never use any of their alternative sweet food like chocolate syrup or the peanut butter spread. How ever I have used a lot of spice oriented dressing for my salads such as the honey mustard, sweet onion, and other non -dairy type dressings and found them to be actually quite good. Point being that if you are looking for a dairy o creamy alternative sad truth is you’ll never find one that is very good. I’ve looked. I feel like this article was very demonizing. If you look at the ingredients of anything you get from the store you will find less than savory ingredients in every single one of them unless they are food from the ground, but even then what bug spray did they use on it? Did it get in the soil contaminating the product? Unless you grow and make your own food you’ll have to deal with some sort of by product in it. So the people writing this may have not liked it but don’t condemn them for doing something that every food packaging company does. Also be ever vigilant on extensive research.
So glad I found this link! I just bought Walden Farms Coleslaw Dressing, I was so excited! But it tastes horrible: sharp and nasty! After reading this article, I’m not going eat any more of the coleslaw (cabbage mix) that I just wasted by adding this horrible dressing. I don’t think it’s the splenda, as I have eated article sweeteners for years – and I know what they taste like.
Walden Farms Coleslaw Dressing tastes horrible. I will never try another Walden Farms product (I thought they were a good company). Because they put this dressing on the market, they don’t care what garbage they sell.
Thank you for your article about Walden farms products! I read a good number of the comments here and your replies and my concern not only with this product having splenda and xanthan gum and other ingredients is an ingredient I stumbled upon about 5 years ago called CARAGEEN–which has been studied and found to cause stomach cancer–this ingredient can be found in many brands of almond milk that are on the market today–I won’t name any brands but if you read the ingredient list on your almond milk it is likely there people because I found few almond milks without it. I am overweight and I need to lose weight but I refuse to eat nasty chemical ingredients that are going to cause me to have cancer or kidney problems or something else I would rather eat real whole foods or have no salad dressing and exercise more eat real peanut butter exercise more etc then eat crummy nasty disgusting chemicals–no judgment here–just my choice–my body I eat what I like & your body–you eat what you like–but I do not want to eat chemicals……. thank you and good luck to everyone!
THANK YOU for stating the truth that Splenda is not a good replacement for a calorie free sugar!
What are some good alternatives .