Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Hostess donettes POWDERED mini donuts ultra-processed?

10 oz Doughnuts Sold in the United States

Pack of Hostess donettes POWDERED mini donuts

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:

  • 43 ingredients
  • 19 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed doughnuts

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

flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, dextrose, sugar, water, corn starch, soybean oil, glycerin, CONTAINS 2% and LESS OF (nonfat milk), soy flour, egg yolk, titanium dioxide (color), sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, salt, preservatives (sorbic acid, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, natamycin), wheat starch, soy lecithin, dextrin, mono- and DIGLYCERIDES, guar gum, cellulose gum, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, enzymes, karaya gum, citric acid, annatto, turmeric

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E171 Titanium dioxide , 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

ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON OR FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), PALM OIL, DEXTROSE, SUGAR, WATER, CORN STARCH, SOYBEAN OIL, GLYCERIN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: NONFAT MILK, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, EGG YOLK, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, PRESERVATIVES (SORBIC ACID, SODIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, NATAMYCIN), WHEAT STARCH, SOY LECITHIN, DEXTRIN, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, GUAR GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, ENZYMES, KARAYA GUM, CITRIC ACID, ANNATTO AND TURMERIC

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.
  • E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
  • 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.
Show 5 more
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.
7 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.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 14 doughnuts

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 86% of the doughnuts 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 14 doughnuts, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0888109150044, last edited 17 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.