Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Belvita Soft Bakes Golden Oats ultra-processed?

5 x 50 g Biscuits Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Belvita Soft Bakes Golden Oats

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:

  • 31 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed biscuits

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

Cereals 49% (WHEAT flour, cereals (OAT 7.5%, buckwheat 7.5%, WHEAT flour 1.2%, BARLEY flour 1%, OAT flakes 1%, spelt flour 1% (wheat)), rice flour, malted WHEAT flour), sugar, rapeseed oil, modified starch, chicory root fibre, isomaltulose* humectant (glycerol), minerals (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, elemental iron), raising agent (sodium carbonates), emulsifier (SOYA lecithins), salt, flavouring, WHEAT gluten, dextrose, starch

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E322 Lecithins , E422 Glycerol , E500 Sodium carbonates

As written on the pack

Cereals 49 % [WHEAT flour 26.9 %, wholegrain cereals 19.2 % (OAT Grits 7.5 %, wholegrain crushed buckwheat 7.5 %, wholegrain WHEAT flour 1.2 %, wholegrain BARLEY flour 1 %, OAT flakes 1 %, wholegrain spelt flour (WHEAT) 1 %), rice flour 2.7 %, malted WHEAT flour 0.2 %], sugar, rapeseed oil, modified starch, chicory root fibre, isomaltulose* humectant (glycerol), minerals (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, elemental iron), raising agent (sodium carbonates), emulsifier (SOYA lecithins), salt, flavouring, WHEAT gluten, dextrose, starch.

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • 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.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • 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.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.
  • 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.
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 1,514 biscuits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1408th. 83% of the biscuits 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 1,514 biscuits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7622201766405, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.