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Kellogg's Special K Pastry Crisps
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Cereals and their products

Kellogg's Special K Pastry Crisps

Bad out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in sugar
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 4

Kellogg's Special K Pastry Crisps scores 4 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Fructose: 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 toaster pastries

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

The Receipt

Pastry Crisps

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Fructose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, humectant, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [4]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 28 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in sugar. [1]
  • Saturated fat 4 g / 100 g
    Strong High in saturated fat. [5]
  • Salt 0.8 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [6]
  • Energy 400 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 4 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
subtotal−20
TOTAL 4Bad

100 − 96 = 4

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

Can’t score above 79. High in sugars (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]

GTIN 00038000273605 · 2026-01-12

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy400 kcal
Fat8 g
Saturated fat4 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates80 g
Sugars28 g
Fiber4 g
Protein4 g
Salt0.8 g

Serving: 25g

Ingredients

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

enriched flour, sugar, vegetable glycerin, vegetable oil, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, modified food starch, apple powder, nonfat milk, strawberry puree concentrate, corn starch, whey, invert sugar, leavening, soy lecithin, salt, DATEM, vegetable juice for color, natural flavors, cellulose gel, citric acid, malic acid, sodium citrate, mono - and diglycerides, cellulose gum, sodium alginate, trisodium phosphate, rosemary extract

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat

  • Not vegan
  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

More from Kellogg's Special K

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. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  15. 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