Most kids are picky eaters. Food Corporations have accommodated to their special wants by providing foods directed at kids. Although these snacks may seem like a quick, easy solution to your whining, hungry child, science has proven these snacks contain anywhere from cancer causing artificial coloring to petroleum products.This is a list of the worst (deadliest) snacks out there.

1. Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish: “The snack that smiles back, Goldfish!” However great this slogan might be, Goldfish are not going to make you smile when you look at the ingredients. This snack contains MSG and GMO ingredients. MSG or monosodium glutamate causes headaches, nausea, sweating, and chest pain. GMO soybeans contain toxins that could be harmful to liver functions, damage the liver, and cause toxemia (blood poisoning).

2. Kellogg’s Pop-tarts: The toaster pastries were first introduced in 1964. A pop-tart consists of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and sugar- all extremely harmful sugars known to cause Type 2 diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, cancer, dementia, and fatty liver. Not only does the sugar component make it extremely unhealthy, but another ingredient used is TBHQ which comes from petroleum and is related to butane. Pop-tarts are the definition of poison.

3. Mott’s Applesauce: Applesauce is interpreted to be a healthy snack just for the reason the word ‘apple’ is in the word. People immediately think they are taking the healthier route compared to other sugary snacks. This of course is false. A serving of applesauce is around 100 calories, but 88 of those calories come from sugar. This applesauce may just as well be called “high fructose corn syrup sauce”.

4. Welch’s Fruit Snacks: Fruit snacks have been a popular snack among kids. Most parents are fooled into buying these because the word “fruit” is associated with being healthy. This is not the case though. Fruit Snacks barely contain fruit in them at all, if any. They are mostly made of up artificial additives and colors. The food coloring used in fruit snacks raises the most concerns. Red 3, also known as Erythrosine, is a commonly used food coloring in fruit snacks. It is also a petroleum product. Yikes!

5. Cheetos: Cheetos are distinct for their bright orange appearance, but what makes them that color? The artificial color that creates the “cheese” color is derived from petroleum. The color isn’t the only bad thing about this snack. The cheese flavor contains methyl benzoate, which is a pesticide.

6. M&M’s: M&M’s have been around since 1941. What makes M&M’s so attractive is their bright colors and size. However, these colors are artificial and harmful when ingested. The colors used are petroleum based products that can cause abnormal cell development, tumors, allergic reactions and cancer.

7. Teddy Grams: These tiny bears are a great size for tiny fingers but they are laced with the dreaded TBHQ. TBHQ can be toxic and has been proven to cause nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ear, delirium and collapse. TBHQ has also caused stomach cancer in lab rats, fragment and DNA and cause damage to cells. In children it can cause anxiety, restlessness, and intensify symptoms of ADHD. TBHQ is an additive to preserve processed foods, but unlike other natural preservers, TBHQ is synthetic. The bottom line is, TBHQ should not be consumed.