Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Smart Balance Omega-3 Buttery Spread ultra-processed?

15 oz Margarines Sold in the United States

Pack of Smart Balance Omega-3 Buttery Spread

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:

  • 23 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed margarines

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

Vegetable Oil Blend (Palm Oil, Canola Oil), Water, Less Than 2% of (Fish Oil), Flaxseed Oil, Olive Oil, Salt, Pea Protein Isolate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), Monoglycerides, with Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, tbhq, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E270 Lactic acid , E319 Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq) , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

Vegetable Oil Blend (Palm Oil, Canola Oil), Water, Less Than 2% of: Fish Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Olive Oil, Salt, Pea Protein Isolate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene (Color), Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), Monoglycerides, with Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, TBHQ, Calcium Disodium EDTA and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness

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.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 182 margarines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 119th. 85% of the margarines 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 182 margarines, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0033776011031, last edited 30 December 2025), 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.