Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Benecol Buttery spread ultra-processed?

8 oz Margarines Sold in the United States

Pack of Benecol Buttery spread

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed margarines

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

canola oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, plant stanol esters, salt, vegetable mono- and diglycerides, soy lecithin, hydrogenated soybean oil, potassium sorbate, citric acid, calcium disodium edta to preserve freshness, artificial flavor, dl-o-tocopheryl acetate, vitamin a palmitate, with beta carotene

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E202 Potassium sorbate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids.

As written on the pack

Liquid canola oil, water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, plant stanol esters, salt, emulsifiers (vegetable mono - and diglycerides, soy lecithin), hydrogenated soybean oil, potassium sorbate, citric acid and calcium disodium edta to preserve freshness, artificial flavor, dl-o-tocopheryl acetate, vitamin a palmitate, colored with beta carotene.

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • 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.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.

  • Hydrogenated oil Hydrogenation turns liquid oil into a solid fat that resists going rancid.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 184 margarines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 158th. 85% of the margarines 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 184 margarines, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0796451839183, last edited 16 August 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.