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Pepperidge Farm Jewish Rye & Pumpernickel Deli Swirl
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Breads

Pepperidge Farm Jewish Rye & Pumpernickel Deli Swirl

16 oz/1 lb/454 g

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in salt
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
  • Contains whole grains
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Why it scores 28

Pepperidge Farm Jewish Rye & Pumpernickel Deli Swirl scores 28 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Caramel color: The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. Regulatory
  2. Dextrose: 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 sliced bread

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

The Receipt

Jewish Rye & Pumpernickel Deli Swirl

START100

Ingredients

  • Caramel color
    Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [1][2][3][4]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [5][6][7]
  • Wheat gluten
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
  • Soybean oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [9][10][11][12]
  • Calcium propionate
    Regulatory Health Canada permits it only in listed foods, up to set limits (2,000 ppm in bread, as propionic acid). [13]
  • 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. [14][15][8]
  • Soy lecithin
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
subtotal−47.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, industrial protein and industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate. [8]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 1.6 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [16]
  • Energy 250 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [6]
  • Fiber 3.1 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [6]
  • Protein 9.4 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [6]
subtotal−2
TOTAL 28Poor

100 − 72 = 28

Can’t score above 79. Contains caramel color, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]

GTIN 00014100070092 · 2026-05-29

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy250 kcal
Fat3.1 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates43.8 g
Sugars3.1 g
Added sugars3.1 g
Fiber3.1 g
Protein9.4 g
Salt1.6 g

Serving: 1 slice (32 g)

Ingredients

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

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, RYE FLOUR, WHEAT GLUTEN, RYE MEAL, YEAST, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SOYBEAN OIL, SALT, GROUND CARAWAY, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI FOR COLOR, CALCIUM PROPIONATE AND SORBIC ACID TO EXTEND FRESHNESS, CARAMEL COLOR, MONOGLYCERIDES, LACTIC ACID, ONION AND GARLIC POWDERS, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, DEXTROSE, SOY LECITHIN.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Soy, Wheat, Gluten

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Packaging

Ldpe 4 low density polyethylene

Context only: no points in v1.

Healthiest breads in the US

More from Pepperidge Farm

Sources

  1. Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

    “Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

    fda.gov

  2. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  3. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  4. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “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

  10. Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis

    BMJ · Feb 4, 2013 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  11. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org

  12. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  13. 11. List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives)

    Health Canada · Oct 20, 2025 · Regulator

    “B.2 Butylated Hydroxyanisole n/a (a) Active dry yeasts (a) Preservative (a) 1,000 ppm n/a”

    canada.ca

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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