Is Little Debbie Zebra Cakes ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 38 ingredients
- 11 additives
- Nutri-Score E
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
sugar (processing marker), corn syrup (ultra-processing marker), flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin, folic acid), water, PALM and PALM KERNEL OIL, palm, SOYBEAN OILS WITH TBHQ and CITRIC ACID TO PROTECT FLAVOR, dextrose (ultra-processing marker), soybean oil (processing marker), CONTAINS 2% and LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING (soy flour), egg whites, whey (ultra-processing marker), leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate), salt (processing marker), cocoa, corn starch (processing marker), sorbitan monostearate (ultra-processing marker), sorbic acid (to preservative freshness), mono- and DIGLYCERIDES (ultra-processing marker), colors (ultra-processing marker) (titanium dioxide (ultra-processing marker), turmeric annatto extract), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), polysorbate 60 (ultra-processing marker), polysorbate 80 (ultra-processing marker), NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS (ultra-processing marker), potato starch (processing marker)
Additives: E171 Titanium dioxide , E200 Sorbic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E433 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate , E435 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E491 Sorbitan monostearate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E541 Sodium aluminium phosphate
As written on the pack
SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, PALM AND PALM KERNEL OIL, PALM AND SOYBEAN OILS WITH TBHQ AND CITRIC ACID TO PROTECT FLAVOR, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN OIL. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SOY FLOUR, EGG WHITES, WHEY (MILK), LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, COCOA, CORN STARCH, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SORBIC ACID (TO PRESERVATIVE FRESHNESS), MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, COLORS (TITANIUM DIOXIDE, TURMERIC ANNATTO EXTRACT), SOY LECITHIN, POLYSORBATE 60, POLYSORBATE 80, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, POTATO STARCH.
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.
- 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.
- E433 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic emulsifier used in ice cream and some sauces to keep fats evenly dispersed.
- E435 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate 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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- E491 Sorbitan monostearate 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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- 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.
- 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.
5 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.
- 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 205 pastries
From least to most processed, this one ranks 178th. 87% of the pastries here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0024300041464, last edited 4 May 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.