Is Sainsbury's bakery Custard Doughnuts 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
- 12 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed doughnuts
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar (processing marker), Vanilla Flavour Filling 24% (Water, Sugar (processing marker), Glucose Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Maize Starch (processing marker), Rapeseed Oil, Gelling Agent (ultra-processing marker) (Pectin (ultra-processing marker)), Salt (processing marker), Colours (ultra-processing marker) (Titanium Dioxide (ultra-processing marker)), Mixed Carotenes (ultra-processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Acidity Regulator (Glucono-delta-lactone), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (Sorbitan Yeast), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Monostearate), Preservative (processing marker) (Sorbic Acid)), Rapeseed Oil, Acids, mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), Wheat Fibre (ultra-processing marker), Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate (ultra-processing marker)), Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, Stabiliser (Carboxymethylcellulose (ultra-processing marker)), Salt (processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
Additives: E160a Carotene , E171 Titanium dioxide , E200 Sorbic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E440 Pectins , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E575 Glucono-delta-lactone
As written on the pack
Fortified British Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Sugar, Vanilla Flavour Filling (24%) (Water, Sugar. Glucose Syrup. Maize Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Gelling Agent: Pectin, Salt, Colours: Titanium Dioxide, Mixed Carotenes; Flavouring, Acidity Regulator: Glucono-delta-lactone; Emulsifier: Sorbitan Yeast, Emulsifiers: Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Monostearate; Preservative: Sorbic Acid), Rapeseed Oil, Acids, Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Wheat Fibre. Raising Agents: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Stabiliser: Carboxymethylcellulose: Salt, Flavouring, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic 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.
- E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
- E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
- E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
- 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.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric 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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- 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.
- Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.
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.
- Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.
- 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.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 14 doughnuts
From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 86% of the doughnuts here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01062335, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.