GoodSwap Get notified
Hostess Donettes
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Cakes

Hostess Donettes

305 g

Bad out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in saturated fat
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains palm oil
  • Contains artificial flavors
  • No synthetic dyes
Get GoodSwap

Why it scores 3

Hostess Donettes scores 3 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Dextrose: 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 donuts

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

The Receipt

Donettes

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Cellulose gum (carboxymethylcellulose)
    Strong In a small randomized feeding trial, carboxymethylcellulose modestly increased abdominal discomfort and reduced gut microbiota diversity; in mice it promoted low-grade inflammation. [4][5][6][7]
  • Palm oil
    Strong About half saturated fat; WHO recommends keeping saturated fat to 10% of energy or less. [8][9][10]
  • Hydrogenated oil
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [11]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [11]
  • 8 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, humectant, industrial fat, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [11]
subtotal−26

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 18 g / 100 g
    Strong High in sugar. [1]
  • Saturated fat 12 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in saturated fat. [8]
  • Salt 0.5 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some salt. [12]
  • Energy 509 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
subtotal−21
TOTAL 3Bad

100 − 97 = 3

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

Can’t score above 79. High in fat and saturated fat (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [13]

GTIN 00888109150020 · 2026-10-04

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy509 kcal
Fat18 g
Saturated fat12 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates54.4 g
Sugars18 g
Added sugars29.8 g
Fiber1 g
Protein2 g
Salt0.5 g

Serving: 1 portion (57 g)

Ingredients

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

SUGAR, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON OR FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), PALM OIL, HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, GLYCERIN, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, NONFAT MILK, DEFATTED SOY FLOUR, EGG YOLK, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN, WHEY, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, NATAMYCIN, SORBIC ACID, SODIUM PROPIONATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SALT, WHEAT STARCH, DEXTROSE, DEXTRIN, GUAR GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, ENZYMES, ANNATTO AND TURMERIC, KARAYA GUM, CITRIC ACID.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Egg

  • Not vegan
  • Not gluten-free
  • Not palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest cakes in the US

More from Hostess

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. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Jan 16, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “The Panel concluded that there was no need for a numerical ADI and that there would be no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels for the unmodified and modified celluloses”

    doi.org

  8. 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

  9. Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods

    European Food Safety Authority · May 3, 2016 · Agency assessment

    “The highest levels of GE, as well as 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD (including esters) were found in palm oils and palm fats, followed by other oils and fats.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  10. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food

    European Union (Official Journal) · Apr 25, 2023 · Law

    “Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  18. 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