Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Fiona Cairns Seasonal GS Fairy Cakes ultra-processed?

Cakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Fiona Cairns Seasonal GS Fairy 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:

  • 37 ingredients
  • 12 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed cakes

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

Sugar, water, fortified wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), rapeseed oil, wheat glucose syrup, free range egg, mono- and diglyceries of fatty acids, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, diphosphates, sodium carbonates, salt, milk whey powder, wheat dextrose, Dafiti oil, vegetable glycorine, proservativs (potassium sorbate), titanium dioxide, curcumin, beetroot, paprika, copper complexes of chlorophyllins, tragacanth, free range egg albumen, spirulina concentrate, flavouring, Best Before (Jul Allergy Advice), including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in boid

Additives: E100 Curcumin , E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins , E141ii Copper complexes of chlorophyllins , E171 Titanium dioxide , E202 Potassium sorbate , E413 Tragacanth , E450 Diphosphates , E472b Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E570 Fatty acids

As written on the pack

Sugar, water, fortified wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), rapeseed oil, wheat glucose syrup. dried free range egg, emulsifiers (mono - and diglyceries of fatty acids, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, lactic acid esters of mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids). raising agents (diphosphates, sodium carbonates), salt, milk whey powder, wheat dextrose, Dafiti oil, humectant (vegetable glycorine), proservativs (potassium sorbate), colours (titanium dioxide, curcumin, beetroot, paprika, copper complexes of chlorophyllins), stabiliser (tragacanth), dried free range egg albumen, spirulina concentrate, flavouring. 03.21 Best Before: 23 Jul Allergy Advice: For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in boid. May also contain traces of nuts.

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.

  • E100 Curcumin Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
  • E413 Tragacanth 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.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E472b Lactic 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.
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  • E475 Polyglycerol esters 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.
  • E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate 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.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
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.

  • 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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 377 cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 326th. 94% of the 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 377 cakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060056130521, last edited 8 September 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.