Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Cadbury Creme Egg Cakes ultra-processed?

4 Sponge cakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Cadbury Creme Egg Cakes

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:

  • 77 ingredients
  • 12 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed desserts

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

Milk chocolate 24% (Sugar, Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter, skimmed milk, Milk fat, Vegetable fat (Palm), whey, Emulsifier (Soya lecithin)), White fondant 22% (Sugar, Vegetable oils (Palm Vegetable oils, Rapeseed Vegetable oils), Glucose syrup, Humectant (Glycerol), Flavouring, Emulsifier (e471), Preservative (Potassium sorbate), Stabiliser (e415)), Yellow fondant 19% (Sugar, Vegetable oils (Palm Vegetable oils, Rapeseed Vegetable oils), Glucose syrup, Humectant (Glycerol), Flavouring, Emulsifier (e471), Preservative (Potassium sorbate), Stabiliser (e415), Colours (Paprika extract, Carotenes)), Wheat flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Milk chocolate drops 6% (Milk, Sugar, Cocoa butter, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fats (Palm, Shea), Emulsifier (e442), Flavourings), Glucose syrup, Sugar, Humectant (Glycerol), Fat reduced cocoa, Soya flour, whole egg, Vegetable oils (Palm Vegetable oils, Rapeseed Vegetable oils), whey, Raising agents (e450, Sodium bicarbonate), egg white, Emulsifier (e471)

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160c Paprika extract , E202 Potassium sorbate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E415 Xanthan gum , E422 Glycerol , E442 Ammonium phosphatides , E450 Diphosphates , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Milk chocolate 24% (Sugar, Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter, Dried skimmed milk, Milk fat, Vegetable fat (Palm), Dried whey (milk), Emulsifier (Soya lecithin)), White fondant 22% (Sugar, Vegetable oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Glucose syrup, Humectant (Glycerol), Flavouring, Emulsifier (E471), Preservative (Potassium sorbate), Stabiliser (E415)), Yellow fondant 19% (Sugar, Vegetable oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Glucose syrup, Humectant (Glycerol), Flavouring, Emulsifier (E471), Preservative (Potassium sorbate), Stabiliser (E415), Colours (Paprika extract, Carotenes)), Wheat flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Milk chocolate drops 6% (Milk, Sugar, Cocoa butter, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fats (Palm, Shea), Emulsifier (E442), Flavourings), Glucose syrup, Sugar, Humectant (Glycerol), Fat reduced cocoa, Soya flour, Dried whole egg, Vegetable oils (Palm, Rapeseed), Dried whey (milk), Raising agents (E450, Sodium bicarbonate), Dried egg white, Emulsifier (E471).

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.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • 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.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E442 Ammonium phosphatides 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.
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  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • 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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 13 sponge cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 100% of the sponge cakes 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 13 sponge cakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000221606994, 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.