Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Smart Balance Original Buttery Spread ultra-processed?

45 OZ (2 LBS 13 OZ) 1.27kg Margarines Sold in the United States

Pack of Smart Balance Original 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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 6 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 (canola, OIL (palm oil, and OLIVE OIL), S), water, contains less than 2% of salt, pea protein, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, sunflower lecithin, vitamin a palmitate, beta-carotene (color), vitamin d, monoglycerides of vegetable fatty acids (emulsifier), and POTASSIUM SORBATE, lactic acid, calcium disodium edta (to protect freshness)

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E270 Lactic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E385 Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate , E570 Fatty acids

As written on the pack

VEGETABLE OIL BLEND (CANOLA, PALM, AND OLIVE OILS), WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, PEA PROTEIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, BETA-CAROTENE (COLOR), VITAMIN D, MONOGLYCERIDES OF VEGETABLE FATTY ACIDS (EMULSIFIER); AND POTASSIUM SORBATE, LACTIC ACID, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT 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.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 182 margarines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 138th. 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 0033776011604, last edited 25 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.