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Trader Joe's Plain Bagels
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Bagel breads

Trader Joe's Plain Bagels

18 oz

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
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Why it scores 32

Trader Joe's Plain Bagels scores 32 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Malt syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better bagels

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Plain Bagels

START100

Ingredients

  • Malt syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Wheat gluten
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
  • Calcium phosphate
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI for phosphates of 40 mg/kg body weight (as phosphorus) and noted that infants, toddlers and children may exceed it. [5]
  • Mono- and diglycerides
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher intakes of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471 and E472) were associated with higher cardiovascular risk; cause and effect is not established. [6][7][4]
subtotal−45.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 2 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: emulsifier and industrial protein. [4]
subtotal−19.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 4.7 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some sugar. [1]
  • Salt 0.6 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some salt. [8]
  • Energy 271 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Protein 9.4 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−3
TOTAL 32Poor

100 − 68 = 32

Can’t score above 79. Contains malt syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]

GTIN 00001458000093 · 2026-09-02

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy271 kcal
Fat0.6 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates56.5 g
Sugars4.7 g
Added sugars4.7 g
Fiber2.4 g
Protein9.4 g
Salt0.6 g

Serving: 1 bagel (85 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY, FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC, ACID), WATER, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:, WHEAT GLUTEN, SALT, MOLD INHIBITOR (CULTURED DEXTROSE, WHEAT FLOUR,, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEAT STARCH), YEAST, DISTILLED VINEGAR, ENZYMES (MICROBIAL), VEGETABLE MONOGLYCERIDES, SESAME FLOUR

Allergens and diets

Contains: Wheat, Gluten, Sesame

  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest bagel breads in the US

More from Trader Joe's

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. EFSA issues new advice on phosphates

    European Food Safety Authority · Jun 12, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “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

  6. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

    BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  7. Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Nov 10, 2017 · Agency assessment

    “The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”

    doi.org

  8. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “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

  9. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  10. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  11. Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

    Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  12. Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

    Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “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