Is Tesco Finest Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Flavouring
- Gluten
- E1400 Dextrin
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 34 ingredients
- 4 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Orange Soaked Fruits 30% (Sultanas, Raisins, Currants, Flame Raisin, Concentrated Orange Juice), Water, Mixed Peel, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Butter (processing marker), Honey (processing marker) 1.5%, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Demerara Sugar (processing marker), Yeast, Mixed Spice, Salt (processing marker), Buttermilk Powder, Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Potato Dextrin (ultra-processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Lemon Zest, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E300 Ascorbic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Orange Soaked Fruits (30%) [Sultanas, Raisins, Currants, Flame Raisin, Concentrated Orange Juice], Water, Mixed Peel [Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Butter (Milk), Honey (1.5%), Wheat Gluten, Demerara Sugar, Yeast, Mixed Spice, Salt, Buttermilk Powder (Milk), Emulsifiers (Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Potato Dextrin, Flavouring, Lemon Zest, Rapeseed Oil, Palm Oil, 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.
- E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
4 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.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753913267, last edited 3 April 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.