Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Aldi All Butter Shortbread Collection ultra-processed?

380g Shortbread Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Aldi All Butter Shortbread Collection

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 37 ingredients
  • 3 additives

Less processed shortbread

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Original Shortbread (Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour), Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, butter, Sugar, Wheat Starch, Salt, Caramel Shortbread (Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour), Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, butter, Sugar, caramel 9% (Fructose-Glucose Syrup, Concentrated Pear Purée, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Wheat Fibre, Pectins, Sunflower Oil, Caramelised Sugar, Flavouring, Lactic Acid), Wheat Starch, Salt, Sodium Carbonates, Flavouring

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E440 Pectins , E500 Sodium carbonates

As written on the pack

Original Shortbread: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), BUTTER (MILK) (31%), Sugar, Wheat Starch, Salt. Caramel Shortbread: Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), BUTTER (MILK) (31%), Sugar, CARAMEL FLAVOURED PIECES (9%) (Fructose-Glucose Syrup, Concentrated Pear Purée, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Wheat Fibre, Gelling Agent: Pectins; Sunflower Oil, Caramelised Sugar, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid), Wheat Starch, Salt, Raising Agent: Sodium Carbonates; Flavouring.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
6 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 64 shortbread

From least to most processed, this one ranks 61st. 33% of the shortbread here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 64 shortbread, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4061461155193, last edited 4 September 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.