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Specially Selected Brioche Buns
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Hamburger buns

Specially Selected Brioche Buns

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 19

Specially Selected Brioche Buns scores 19 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Invert sugar: 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 buns and rolls

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

The Receipt

Brioche Buns

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Invert sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Vegetable oil (unspecified)
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [4][5][6][7]
  • Wheat gluten
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
  • 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. [9][8]
  • 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. [10][11][8]
  • Milk protein concentrate / isolate
    Info An ingredient typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
subtotal−47.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, industrial protein and industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate. [8]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 10 g / 100 g
    Strong High in sugar. [1]
  • Saturated fat 2 g / 100 g
    Strong Contains some saturated fat. [12]
  • Salt 1.3 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [13]
  • Energy 176 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Protein 10 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−10
TOTAL 19Bad

100 − 81.5 = 18.5 → 19

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

GTIN 04099100061758 · 2026-08-21

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy176 kcal
Fat6 g
Saturated fat2 g
Carbohydrates54 g
Sugars10 g
Added sugars10 g
Fiber2 g
Protein10 g
Salt1.3 g

Serving: 1 bun (50 g)

Ingredients

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

wheat flour, fresh whole eggs, water, sugar, rapeseed vegetable oil, invert sugar syrup yeast, butter, skim milk powder, salt, wheat gluten, natural flavoring, emulsifier (mono and diglycerides of fatty acids), milk protein, deactivated yeast, malted rye flour, color (beta carotene),

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Egg

  • Not vegan
  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest hamburger buns in the US

More from Specially Selected

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. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

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

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  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. 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