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Sara Lee Delightful Bread Soft & Smooth Wheat
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Breads

Sara Lee Delightful Bread Soft & Smooth Wheat

15 oz/425 g

Good out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Contains sugar alcohols
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains whole grains
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Why it scores 61

Sara Lee Delightful Bread Soft & Smooth Wheat scores 61 out of 100 (Good) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated): No NOVA group on file; estimated from 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers. Strong
  2. 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers: Industrial additive classes found: anti-caking agent, bulking agent, emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, modified starch and sugar alcohol (polyol). Emerging
  3. Fiber 16.3 g / 100 g: A good source of fiber. 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

Delightful Bread Soft & Smooth Wheat

START100

Ingredients

  • Wheat gluten
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • Modified starch
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • Maltitol
    Regulatory Large amounts can have a laxative effect; the EU requires a label statement above 10% added polyols and the US for some polyols above set intakes. [2][3]
  • Powdered cellulose
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • Inulin (chicory root fiber)
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • Calcium propionate
    Regulatory Health Canada permits it only in listed foods, up to set limits (2,000 ppm in bread, as propionic acid). [4]
  • Sorbic acid
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg body weight per day for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate. [5]
  • 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. [6][1]
  • Soybean oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [7][8][9][10]
  • DATEM
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • 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. [11][12][1]
  • Soy lecithin
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [1]
  • Calcium phosphate
    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. [13]
subtotal−15.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4, estimated)
    Strong No NOVA group on file; estimated from 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers. [1]
  • 7 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: anti-caking agent, bulking agent, emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein, modified starch and sugar alcohol (polyol). [1]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 1.2 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [14]
  • Energy 209 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [15]
  • Fiber 16.3 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [15]
  • Protein 11.6 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [15]
subtotal+2
TOTAL 61Good

100 − 39.5 = 60.5 → 61

GTIN 00072945613072 · 2026-10-03

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy209 kcal
Fat2.3 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates44.2 g
Sugars0 g
Added sugars0 g
Fiber16.3 g
Protein11.6 g
Salt1.2 g

Serving: 2 slices (43 g)

Ingredients

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

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, YEAST, MALTITOL, CELLULOSE FIBER, WHEAT BRAN, INULIN (CHICKORY ROOT FIBER), SALT, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUM PROPIONATE, SORBIC ACID), NATURAL FLAVORS, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN), DATEM, MONOGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID, GRAIN VINEGAR.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Wheat

  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest breads in the US

More from Sara Lee

Sources

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  2. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III point 2.4 (foods with more than 10 % added polyols)

    European Union (Official Journal) · Oct 25, 2011 · Law

    “‘excessive consumption may produce laxative effects’.”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  3. 21 CFR 184.1835 Sorbitol

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

    ““Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.””

    ecfr.gov

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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