Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Benecol Light ultra-processed?

500g Light margarines Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Benecol Light

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

Water, Rapeseed oil, Plant stanol ester (plant stanols), Palm oil, modified starch, salt, Whey powder, Emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, lecithin), Natural flavourings, Citric acid, potassium sorbate, Colour (carotenes), Vitamin A, Vitamin D3

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E160a Carotene , E202 Potassium sorbate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Water, Rapeseed oil. Plant stanol ester (plant stanols 6.6g/100g),Palm oil, modified starch, salt, Whey powder, Emulsifiers (mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, lecithin), Natural flavourings, Citric acid, potassium sorbate, Colour (carotenes). Vitamin A. Vitamin D3.

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.
  • 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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  • 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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 23 light margarines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 23rd. 96% of the light 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 23 light margarines, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5055940101169, last edited 5 June 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.