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Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Butters

Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil

14 g

Good out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 62

Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil scores 62 out of 100 (Good) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  2. 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers: Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. Emerging
  3. Canola oil: High in omega-6 linoleic acid. Emerging

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

Better butter and spreads

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

The Receipt

Light Butter with Canola Oil

START100

Ingredients

  • Canola oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [1][2][3][4]
  • Modified starch
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [5]
  • Maltodextrin
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [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][5]
  • Potassium sorbate
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg body weight (as sorbic acid); generally recognized as safe in the US. [8][9]
  • Natural flavors
    Info "Natural flavor" is a legal category (21 CFR 101.22(a)(3)): flavor substances from spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or fermentation. [10][5]
  • Xanthan gum
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [5]
subtotal−12.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [5]
  • 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [5]
subtotal−25.5
TOTAL 62Good

100 − 38 = 62

GTIN 00034500151849 · 2026-06-05

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy50 kcal
Fat6 g
Saturated fat2 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates0 g
Sugars0 g
Added sugars0 g
Fiber0 g
Protein0 g
Salt0.2 g

Serving: 14.000000000000002g

Ingredients

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

Water ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Butter ( Cream, Salt), Canola Oil ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter) Buttermilk ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Contains Less than 2% of Food Starch- Modified ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Tapioca Maltodextrin ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Salt, Mono and Diglycerides ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter) and PGPR ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter) ( Emulsifiers), Lactic Acid ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter) (to Preserve Freshness), Natural Flavor ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Xanthan Gum ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter), Beta- Carotene ( Ingredients Not Found in Regular Butter) ( Color). Contains: Milk.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk

  • Not vegan
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest butters in the US

More from Land O Lakes

Sources

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  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. Opinion on the follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E200) and potassium sorbate (E202) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Mar 1, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “By applying a default uncertainty factor of 100, the Panel established a group ADI expressed as 11 mg sorbic acid/kg bw per day for sorbic acid (E 200) and its potassium salt (E 202).”

    doi.org

  9. 21 CFR 182.3640 Potassium sorbate

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Nov 22, 2016 · Law

    ecfr.gov

  10. 21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 19, 2016 · Law

    “whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

    ecfr.gov

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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