Food
Kirkland All Butter Pound Cake
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- Contains artificial flavors
Why it scores 17
Kirkland All Butter Pound Cake scores 17 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 14 points Sugars 33.1 g / 100 g: Very high in sugar. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better snack cakes and brownies
-
Peanut Butter Brownie Kate's Real Food Not ultra-processed · Less saturated fat Score 75 out of 100 , 58 points higher -
Gourmet Plain Pound Cake 5 oz Not ultra-processed · Less saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 , 62 points higher -
Almond butter brownie Base Culture · 6 oz Not ultra-processed · No gut-studied emulsifiers Score 59 out of 100 , 42 points higher -
Peanut butter brownie smash Quest · 1.6 lb/720 g Not ultra-processed · Less sugar Score 55 out of 100 , 38 points higher -
Brownie Batter All-In-One Protein Smoothie Powder FlavCity · 61.4 g Less sugar · No added sugars Score 50 out of 100 , 33 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
All Butter Pound Cake
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Modified starch minus 2.5 points
- Soybean oil minus 2.5 points
- Palm oil minus 1.5 points
- Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids minus 1.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 1.5 points
- Sodium stearoyl lactylate minus 0.5 points
- Soy lecithin minus 0.5 points
- Wheat gluten minus 0.5 points
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate minus 0.5 points
- Sodium aluminum phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Calcium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Artificial flavors minus 0.5 points
- Caseinate minus 0.5 points
- Xanthan gum minus 0.5 points
- Locust bean gum minus 0.5 points
- Guar gum minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 33.1 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Saturated fat 5.1 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Salt 0.9 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 353 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 83 = 17
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in saturated fat and sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 353 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 5.1 g |
| Trans fat | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53.4 g |
| Sugars | 33.1 g |
| Added sugars | 33 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g |
| Protein | 5.1 g |
| Salt | 0.9 g |
Serving: 1 portion (118 g)
Ingredients
- sugar (high concern)
- bleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- eggs
- butter (cream, milk, salt)
- water
- modified corn starch
- soybean oil
- palm oil
- whey
- emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, mono -, diglycerides, distilled monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, soy lecithin, citric acid) (not recognized)
- wheat gluten
- leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate) (not recognized)
- salt
- egg whites
- nonfat dry milk
- natural (not recognized)
- artificial flavors
- sodium caseinate
- xanthan gum
- locust bean gum
- guar gum
- soy flour
Label text, as published
sugar, bleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), eggs, butter (cream and/or milk, salt), water, modified corn starch, soybean oil, palm oil, whey, emulsifiers (propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, mono - , diglycerides, distilled monoglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, soy lecithin, citric acid), wheat gluten, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, egg whites, nonfat dry milk, natural , artificial flavors, sodium caseinate, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, soy flour
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More from Kirkland
-
Organic Creamy Peanut Butter Kirkland · 793.8 g Score 100 out of 100 Excellent -
Mixed Nut Butter with Seeds Kirkland · 765 g Score 100 out of 100 Excellent -
100% JUICE (not from concentrate) Kirkland · 1 gallon, 3.79 L Score 90 out of 100 Excellent -
Wild caught Alaska sockeye salmon Kirkland · 6 oz Score 100 out of 100 Excellent
Sources
-
Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”
doi.org
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods
“The highest levels of GE, as well as 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD (including esters) were found in palm oils and palm fats, followed by other oils and fats.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”
doi.org
-
Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives
“The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”
doi.org
-
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates
“We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”
who.int
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”
doi.org
-
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”
doi.org
-
“Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”
doi.org