Pastries
Baker's Treat Honey Buns
Score
- Not permitted in some countries
- Ultra-processed
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains artificial flavors
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 1
Baker's Treat Honey Buns scores 1 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Dextrose: An added sugar. Strong
- 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 snack cakes and brownies
-
Boston Creme Honey Bun Mrs. Freshley's · 5 oz No banned ingredients · No added sugars Score 45 out of 100 , 44 points higher -
Honey Buns Nickles · 21 oz/595 g No banned ingredients · Less saturated fat Score 24 out of 100 , 23 points higher -
Apple cinnamon Honey bun Mrs freshly No banned ingredients · No artificial flavors Score 21 out of 100 , 20 points higher -
Jumbo Honey Bun Glazed Duchess No banned ingredients · No seed oils Score 15 out of 100 , 14 points higher -
Jumbo honey bun iced Duchess · 57 oz No banned ingredients · No dextrose Score 16 out of 100 , 15 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Honey Buns
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Dextrose minus 20 points
- Honey minus 10 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 20 g / 100 g minus 11 points
- Saturated fat 12 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Salt 0.8 g / 100 g minus 3 points
- Energy 420 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
100 − 99 = 1
Can’t score above 25. Contains titanium dioxide, which is banned in food in the EU. [7]
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
Can’t score above 79. High in fat and saturated fat (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [14]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 420 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g |
| Sugars | 20 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Salt | 0.8 g |
Serving: 1honey bun
Ingredients
- unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- sugar (high concern)
- water
- vegetable oil (palm oil and soybean oil)
- yeast
- cinnamon
- dextrose (high concern)
- corn starch
- distilled monoglycerides
- salt
- soy flour
- leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate) (not recognized)
- calcium carbonate
- soy lecithin
- agar
- wheat flour
- monoglycerides
- enzymes
- ascorbic acid
- colored with turmeric and annatto
- datem
- dry honey (high concern)
- bleached wheat flour
- wheat starch
- natural and artificial flavor
- titanium dioxide (color) (high concern)
- preserved with calcium propionate
- sodium propionate and potassium sorbate
Label text, as published
unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, water, vegetable oil (palm oil and soybean oil), contains 2% or less of each of the following: yeast, cinnamon, dextrose, corn starch, distilled monoglycerides, salt, soy flour, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), calcium carbonate, soy lecithin, agar, wheat flour, monoglycerides, enzymes, ascorbic acid, colored with turmeric and annatto, datem, dry honey, bleached wheat flour, wheat starch, natural and artificial flavor, titanium dioxide (color), preserved with calcium propionate, sodium propionate and potassium sorbate, contains: wheat and soy,
Allergens and diets
Contains: Soy, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not 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
-
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
-
“titanium dioxide (E 171) can no longer be considered safe when used as a food additive.”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
Titanium dioxide: E171 no longer considered safe when used as a food additive
“the Panel concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“Considering the very low oral absorption of INS 171, and in the absence of any identifiable hazard associated with INS 171 in the diet, the Committee reaffirmed the ADI “not specified” established at the Thirteenth meeting.”
who.int
-
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a food additive: Current science report
“In summary, the Food Directorate's position is that there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the food additive TiO2 is a concern for human health.”
canada.ca
-
Statement on the safety of Titanium Dioxide (E171) as a Food Additive (COT/2024/05)
“The Committee concludes that it is unlikely that there would be a risk to health from exposures of E171 TiO2 from the diet in any of the age groups or scenarios assessed.”
cot.food.gov.uk
-
Titanium Dioxide as a Color Additive in Foods
“Other international regulatory bodies including the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), Health Canada, and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) have not agreed with EFSA’s assessment.”
fda.gov
-
Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)
monographs.iarc.who.int
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
Revocation of Authorization for Use of Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food (89 FR 55040)
“This action is being taken because there is no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm from the continued use of BVO in food.”
federalregister.gov
-
“This order is effective January 15, 2027, except for amendatory instruction 4, which is effective January 18, 2028.”
federalregister.gov
-
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products
“cosmetic products shall not contain any of the following: (a) prohibited substances — prohibited substances listed in Annex II”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“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
-
“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
-
“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
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org