GoodSwap Get notified
Sara Lee 9 Grain Half Loaf
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Multigrain sliced breads

Sara Lee 9 Grain Half Loaf

28 g

Okay out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains whole grains
Get GoodSwap

Why it scores 48

Sara Lee 9 Grain Half Loaf scores 48 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Molasses: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  3. Sugars 7.1 g / 100 g: Contains some sugar. Strong

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

Better sliced bread

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

The Receipt

9 Grain Half Loaf

START100

Ingredients

  • Molasses
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Wheat gluten
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
  • Calcium propionate
    Regulatory Health Canada permits it only in listed foods, up to set limits (2,000 ppm in bread, as propionic acid). [5]
  • Sorbic acid
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg body weight per day for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate. [6]
  • 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. [7][8][4]
  • DATEM
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
subtotal−29.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 2 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: emulsifier and industrial protein. [4]
subtotal−19.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 7.1 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some sugar. [1]
  • Salt 1.1 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [9]
  • Energy 286 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 3.6 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
  • Protein 10.7 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−3
TOTAL 48Okay

100 − 52 = 48

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

GTIN 00072945613065 · 2026-09-19

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy286 kcal
Fat5.4 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates46.4 g
Sugars7.1 g
Added sugars7.1 g
Fiber3.6 g
Protein10.7 g
Salt1.1 g

Serving: 28g

Ingredients

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

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, REDUCED IRON, NIACIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, WHEAT GLUTEN, BULGUR WHEAT, RYE, OATS, CORN, MILLET, TRITICALE, BARLEY, BUCKWHEAT, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, WHEAT BRAN, SALT, MOLASSES, CALCIUM PROPIONATE, SORBIC ACID, MONOGLYCERIDES, DATEM, FLAXSEED, RICE.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Tree nuts, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Sesame

  • Not gluten-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest multigrain sliced breads in the US

More from Sara Lee

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. 11. List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives)

    Health Canada · Oct 20, 2025 · Regulator

    “B.2 Butylated Hydroxyanisole n/a (a) Active dry yeasts (a) Preservative (a) 1,000 ppm n/a”

    canada.ca

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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