Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Aldi Protein Oat Pancake & Waffle Mix ultra-processed?

Pancake mixes Sold in the United States

Pack of Aldi Protein Oat Pancake & Waffle Mix

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:

  • 32 ingredients
  • 7 additives

Less processed pancake mixes

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

rolled oats, flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat protein isolate (wheat gluten, lactic acid, sulfite), yellow corn flour, sugar, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, soy flour, salt, interesterified soybean oil, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, milksolids blend (whey, buttermilk, cream), nonfat dry milk, soybean oil, artificial flavor, cellulose gum, whole egg, soy lecithin, enzyme

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E541 Sodium aluminium phosphate

As written on the pack

rolled oats, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), wheat protein isolate (wheat gluten, lactic acid, sulfite), yellow corn flour, sugar, dextrose, sodium bicarbonate, soy flour, salt, interesterified soybean oil, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, milksolids blend (whey, buttermilk, cream), nonfat dry milk, soybean oil, artificial flavor, cellulose gum, whole egg solids, soy lecithin, enzyme,

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.

  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
  • 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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.
  • Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 43 pancake mixes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 43rd. 79% of the pancake mixes 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 43 pancake mixes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4099100018677, last edited 28 September 2024), 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.