Is Hostess donettes ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 41 ingredients
- 18 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed cakes
-
Almond Flour Pancake & Waffle Mix Original
Simple Mills
7 ingredients · 4 additives
NOVA group
3
-
Blueberry Muffin
Lärabar
5 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Organic Classic Pancake & Waffle Mix
Birch Benders
9 ingredients · 4 additives
NOVA group
3
-
Almond Flour Baking Mix Brownie
Simple Mills
11 ingredients · 2 additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
sugar (processing marker), flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, water, soybean oil (processing marker), glycerin (ultra-processing marker), cocoa processed with alkali, nonfat milk, defatted soy flour, egg yolk, mono- and DIGLYCERIDES (ultra-processing marker), sodium acid pyrophosphate (ultra-processing marker), baking soda, soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), whey (ultra-processing marker), sodium aluminum phosphate, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS (ultra-processing marker), natamycin, sorbic acid, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate (processing marker), salt (processing marker), wheat starch (processing marker), dextrose (ultra-processing marker), dextrin (ultra-processing marker), guar gum (ultra-processing marker), cellulose gum (ultra-processing marker), enzymes, annatto, turmeric, karaya gum (ultra-processing marker), citric acid
Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E200 Sorbic acid , E202 Potassium sorbate , E235 Natamycin , E281 Sodium propionate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E416 Karaya-gum , E422 Glycerol , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E541 Sodium aluminium phosphate
As written on the pack
SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON OR FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), PALM OIL, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, GLYCERIN, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, NONFAT MILK, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, EGG YOLK, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN, WHEY, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, NATAMYCIN, SORBIC ACID, SODIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SALT, WHEAT STARCH, DEXTROSE, DEXTRIN, GUAR GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, ENZYMES, ANNATTO AND TURMERIC, KARAYA GUM, CITRIC ACID.
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.
- E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
- 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.
- E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
- E416 Karaya-gum A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
Show 3 more
- E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Among 377 cakes
From least to most processed, this one ranks 316th. 94% of the cakes here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0888109150020, last edited 3 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.