Cooking helpers
Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread
14 oz
Score
- Dye with an EU warning label
- Contains synthetic dyes
- Ultra-processed
- High in sugar
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
Why it scores 7
Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread scores 7 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points 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.
The Receipt
Pumpkin Quick Bread
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 20 points
- Yellow 5 minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 45.5 g / 100 g minus 14 points
- Salt 1.5 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Energy 364 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Fiber 3 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 93 = 7
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][12]
Can’t score above 79. High in sugars and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [13]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 364 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 84.9 g |
| Sugars | 45.5 g |
| Added sugars | 42.4 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 6.1 g |
| Salt | 1.5 g |
Serving: 33.0g
Ingredients
- SUGAR (high concern)
- ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID)
- DRIED PUMPKIN
- DEXTROSE (high concern)
- LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE) (not recognized)
- CELLULOSE
- CINNAMON
- CANOLA OIL
- NONFAT DRY MILK
- CORN STARCH
- SPICES
- SALT
- PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS
- MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES
- CELLULOSE GUM (moderate concern)
- SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE
- YELLOW 5 (high concern)
- CITRIC ACID AND BHT (ANTIOXIDANTS)
- RED 40 (high concern)
Label text, as published
SUGAR, ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), DRIED PUMPKIN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: DEXTROSE, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CELLULOSE, CINNAMON, CANOLA OIL, NONFAT DRY MILK, CORN STARCH, SPICES, SALT, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ESTERS OF FATTY ACIDS, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, CELLULOSE GUM, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, YELLOW 5, CITRIC ACID AND BHT (ANTIOXIDANTS), RED 40
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten
May contain: Egg
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
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
-
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of 16 December 2008 on food additives
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”
legislation.gov.uk
-
“Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.”
doi.org
-
Tracking Food Industry Pledges to Remove Petroleum Based Food Dyes
“FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—by the end of 2027.”
fda.gov
-
California AB 2316 (2024), Pupil nutrition: substances: prohibition
“beginning December 31, 2027, would prohibit a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school”
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
-
21 CFR 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5
“shall specifically declare the presence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 by listing the color additive as FD&C Yellow No. 5 among the list of ingredients.”
ecfr.gov
-
“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
-
List of Select Chemicals in the Food Supply Under FDA Review
“The table below includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances, and contaminants under FDA review as of May 12, 2026 .”
fda.gov
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply (press release)
“Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.”
fda.gov
-
“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
-
“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
-
“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