Croissants
Pillsbury Crescents
8 oz
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 3
Pillsbury Crescents scores 3 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
Crescents
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 20 points
- Vegetable shortening minus 2.5 points
- Soybean oil minus 1.5 points
- Hydrogenated oil minus 1.5 points
- Palm oil minus 1.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 0.5 points
- TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone) minus 0.5 points
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate minus 0.5 points
- Sodium aluminum phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Wheat gluten minus 0.5 points
- Pectin minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 8 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 10.7 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Saturated fat 7.1 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Salt 2 g / 100 g minus 7 points
- Energy 357 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 97 = 3
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 salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [18]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 357 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 16.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 7.1 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46.4 g |
| Sugars | 10.7 g |
| Added sugars | 7.1 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 3.6 g |
| Salt | 2 g |
Serving: 1 roll (28 g)
Ingredients
- Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Water
- Vegetable Shortening (soybean oil, hydrogenated palm oil, fractionated palm oil, water, mono and diglycerides, TBHQ and citric acid [preservatives], beta carotene [for color])
- Sugar (high concern)
- Baking Powder (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate)
- Dextrose (high concern)
- Soybean and Palm Oil
- Salt
- Monoglycerides
- Potassium Chloride
- Wheat Protein Isolate
- Pectin
- Xanthan Gum
- Calcium Chloride
- Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid (preservatives)
- Wheat Starch
- Dough Conditioners (L-cysteine hydrochloride, enzymes)
- Annatto Extract (for color)
Label text, as published
Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (soybean oil, hydrogenated palm oil, fractionated palm oil, water, mono and diglycerides, TBHQ and citric acid [preservatives], beta carotene [for color]), Sugar. Contains 2% or less of: Baking Powder (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate), Dextrose, Soybean and Palm Oil, Salt, Monoglycerides, Potassium Chloride, Wheat Protein Isolate, Pectin, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid (preservatives), Wheat Starch, Dough Conditioners (L-cysteine hydrochloride, enzymes), Annatto Extract (for color).
Allergens and diets
Contains: Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More croissants on GoodSwap
More from Pillsbury
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
-
“E 127 Erythrosine 200 only cocktail cherries and candied cherries”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
11. List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives)
“B.2 Butylated Hydroxyanisole n/a (a) Active dry yeasts (a) Preservative (a) 1,000 ppm n/a”
canada.ca
-
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