Is Aldi Specially Selected 4 Luxury Fruited Hot Cross Bun ultra-processed?

4 Viennoiseries Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
Flavouring
Gluten
Invert sugar
E1400 Dextrin
E470a Sodium/potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids
and 2 more

39 ingredients
6 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed viennoiseries

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

Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), sultanas 22%, Water, vostizza currants 10%, mixed peel 2% (Orange Peel, Lemon Peel), Sugar (processing marker), Rapeseed Oil, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Invert Sugar Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Yeast, Malted Wheat Flour, Salt (processing marker), Flavourings (ultra-processing marker), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), Sodium, Potassium, Calcium Salts of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), Dextrin (ultra-processing marker), Palm Fat, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Wheat Flour, Wheat Starch (processing marker), other gluten sources, milk, sesame, To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this wrapper away from babies and small children, urs BEST BEFORE (See top of pack)

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E300 Ascorbic acid , E470a Sodium/potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids , E470aiii Calcium salts of fatty acids , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), SULTANAS (22%), Water, VOSTIZZA CURRANTS (10%), MIXED PEEL (2%) (Orange Peel; Lemon Peel), Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Wheat Gluten, Invert Sugar Syrup, Yeast, Malted Wheat Flour, Salt, Flavourings, Emulsifiers: Mono-and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Sodium, Potassium and Calcium Salts of Fatty Acids; Dextrin, Palm Fat, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid; Wheat Flour, Wheat Starch. ALLERGY ADVICE: For allergens, see ingredients in bold. May also contain egg, other gluten sources, milk and sesame. DIETARY ADVICE: Suitable for vegetarians. WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this wrapper away from babies and small children, urs BEST BEFORE: See top of pack.

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.

E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
E470a Sodium/potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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.

Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.

4 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.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 145 viennoiseries

From least to most processed, this one ranks 117th. 90% of the viennoiseries 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 145 viennoiseries, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4061459984118, last edited 27 March 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.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.