Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury’s Sweet Pancakes ultra-processed?

Pancakes Sold in the United Kingdom and the United States

Pack of Sainsbury’s Sweet Pancakes

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed pancakes

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

Water, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Barn Egg, Rapeseed O ays Whey Powder (Cows' Milk), Skimmed Cows' Milk Powder, Flavouring, Spirit Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Preservative (Potassiu Sorbate), Salt, Raising Agent (Sodium Carbonates), Emulsifier (Lecithins)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E500 Sodium carbonates

As written on the pack

Water, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Pasteurised Barn Egg, Rapeseed O ays Whey Powder (Cows' Milk), Skimmed Cows' Milk Powder, Flavouring, Spirit Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Preservative: Potassiu Sorbate: Salt, Raising Agent: Sodium Carbonates: Emulsifier: Lecithins.

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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 55 pancakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 85% of the pancakes 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 55 pancakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01872347, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.