Prepared meats

Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

16 oz/1 lb

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence

Ultra-processed
High in salt
Contains added sugars
Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
No synthetic dyes

Why it scores 26

Oscar Mayer Oven Roasted Turkey Breast scores 26 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
minus 20 points 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
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.

Better deli meat

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

The Receipt

Oven Roasted Turkey Breast

START100

Ingredients

Sugar minus 20 points

Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
Caramel color minus 20 points

Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [4][5][6][7]
Carrageenan minus 7.5 points

Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. [8][9][10][5]
Modified starch minus 1.5 points

Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [11]
Sodium phosphate minus 1 points

Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI for phosphates of 40 mg/kg body weight (as phosphorus) and noted that infants, toddlers and children may exceed it. [12]

subtotal−50

Processing

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points

Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [11]
3 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 3 points

Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [11]

subtotal−21

Nutrition per 100 g

Salt 2.2 g / 100 g minus 7 points

Strong Very high in salt. [13]
Protein 16.1 g / 100 g plus 4 points

Info A good source of protein. [2]

subtotal−3

TOTAL 26Poor

100 − 74 = 26

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, 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). [14]

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy	89 kcal
Fat	1.8 g
Saturated fat	0 g
Trans fat	0 g
Carbohydrates	3.6 g
Sugars	1.8 g
Added sugars	0 g
Fiber	0 g
Protein	16.1 g
Salt	2.2 g

Serving: 2 ONZ (56 g)

Recipe changed

Nitrites and nitrates removed

Compared with an older list (Open Food Facts). The current list is from September 2022.

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.

Label text, as published

TURKEY BREAST, WATER, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF VINEGAR, SALT, SUGAR, CULTURED DEXTROSE*, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, CARRAGEENAN, CARAMEL COLOR.

Allergens and diets

Not vegan
Not vegetarian
Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Sources

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

International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

monographs.iarc.who.int
Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
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
Food additive emulsifiers and the risk of type 2 diabetes: analysis of data from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study

The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · May 2024 · Peer-reviewed

“We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”

doi.org
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
Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives

European Food Safety Authority · Apr 26, 2018 · Agency assessment

“However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”

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

Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

doi.org
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates

European Food Safety Authority · Jun 12, 2019 · Agency assessment

“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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Score

Why it scores 26

Better deli meat

Nutrition per 100 g

Recipe changed

Ingredients

Allergens and diets

More prepared meats on GoodSwap

More from Oscar Mayer

Sources