Hamburger buns
Nature's Own Butter Buns
16 oz/1 lb/454 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Seed-oil free
Why it scores 47
Nature's Own Butter Buns scores 47 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 3 points Sugars 5.3 g / 100 g: Contains some sugar. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better buns and rolls
-
Ciabatta Rolls Trader Joe's · 12 oz (340 g) Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 91 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Ciabatta Rolls Marketside · 18 oz (1 lb 2 oz) 510 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 98 out of 100 , 51 points higher -
Italian Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls Aldi · 18 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 88 out of 100 , 41 points higher -
Organic Sandwich Rolls Dave's Killer Bread · 18 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 92 out of 100 , 45 points higher -
Cristal Burger Bun Cristal Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 88 out of 100 , 41 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Butter Buns
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Wheat gluten minus 2.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 2.5 points
- Calcium phosphate minus 1.5 points
- Soy lecithin minus 1.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 2 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 1.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 5.3 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Saturated fat 1.8 g / 100 g minus 1 points
- Salt 0.8 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 246 kcal / 100 g minus 1 points
- Protein 8.8 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 53.5 = 46.5 → 47
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 246 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 2.6 g |
| Saturated fat | 1.8 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 47.4 g |
| Sugars | 5.3 g |
| Added sugars | 5.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.8 g |
| Protein | 8.8 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g |
Serving: 1 bun (57 g)
Ingredients
- UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID)
- WATER
- SUGAR (high concern)
- YEAST
- BUTTER* (MADE FROM MILK)
- SOY FLOUR
- WHEAT GLUTEN
- CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR
- SALT
- CALCIUM SULFATE
- VINEGAR
- MONOGLYCERIDES
- ENZYMES
- MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE
- ASCORBIC ACID
- NIACIN
- REDUCED IRON
- THIAMIN MONONITRATE
- RIBOFLAVIN
- FOLIC ACID
- SOY LECITHIN
Label text, as published
UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: YEAST, BUTTER* (MADE FROM MILK), SOY FLOUR, WHEAT GLUTEN, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, CALCIUM SULFATE, VINEGAR, MONOGLYCERIDES, ENZYMES, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ASCORBIC ACID, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN.
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
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
-
“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
-
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
-
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
-
“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
-
“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