Is Tesco Buttery spread ultra-processed?

1kg Margarines Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
E160a Carotene
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

15 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

water, rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, buttermilk 3%, salt 1%, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (ultra-processing marker), potassium sorbate, lactic acid, vitamin e, beta-carotene (ultra-processing marker), flavouring (ultra-processing marker), vitamins, vitamin a, vitamin d

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E202 Potassium sorbate , E270 Lactic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

water, rapeseed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, reconstituted buttermilk (3%), salt (1%), emulsifier (mono - and di-glycerides of fatty acids), preservative (potassium sorbate), acidity regulator (lactic acid), vitamin e, colour (beta-carotene), flavouring, vitamin a, vitamin d

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.
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 184 margarines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 115th. 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 184 margarines, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5031021613868, last edited 7 August 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.