Is Biscuits Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
Biscuits range from Level 2 (homemade) to Level 4 (canned). A traditional biscuit requires just flour, butter, buttermilk, baking powder, and salt. Canned biscuits (Pillsbury, store brand) add partially hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, dough conditioners, and DATEM, making them a fully industrial product.
Key Findings
- •Homemade buttermilk biscuits are Level 2 with 5 ingredients; canned Pillsbury biscuits are Level 4 with 15+ including DATEM, artificial flavors, and hydrogenated oils
- •The pressurized tube packaging of canned biscuits demands extensive dough conditioning and preservatives to maintain viability for months
- •The flaky layers in homemade biscuits come from cold butter and minimal handling — in canned biscuits, they come from chemical emulsifiers and dough conditioners
Why Is Biscuits Level 3?
The processing gap between homemade and commercial biscuits is one of the widest in the baked goods category. A Southern buttermilk biscuit uses five ingredients: self-rising flour (or flour, baking powder, and salt), cold butter, and buttermilk. The technique — cutting cold butter into flour, adding buttermilk, minimal handling — creates flaky layers through simple physics, not chemistry. Canned biscuits (Pillsbury Grands, store brands) replace butter with palm oil and partially hydrogenated soybean oil, add DATEM (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of monoglycerides) as a dough conditioner, include artificial butter flavor, and use chemical leavening systems with sodium aluminum phosphate. The dough must survive months of pressurized storage in the iconic cardboard tube while maintaining its ability to rise when baked. This shelf-stability requirement drives most of the additive complexity. Frozen biscuits from brands like Mary B's and Pillsbury Frozen sit between the two extremes, often at Level 3.
Biscuits Processing Level Distribution
How 999 biscuits products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 27.3 · Average nutrition score: 3.6/10
Biscuits Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed biscuits products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal, Shredded Wheat | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal, Shredded Wheat | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Cereal Biscuits | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal, Shredded Wheat | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal, Shredded Wheat | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Cereal Biscuits | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| Shredded Wheat Big Biscuit Cereal, Shredded Wheat | Barbara's | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 1.0 | 1 |
| 100% Whole Grain Big Biscuit Cereal | Post | Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed | 2.0 | 1 |
How to Read Biscuits Labels
- 1
Homemade biscuits need only flour, butter, buttermilk, baking powder, and salt — 5 ingredients
- 2
Canned biscuits replace butter with palm oil and partially hydrogenated oils — check the ingredient list
- 3
DATEM is a dough conditioner found in canned biscuits that would never appear in a home recipe
- 4
Frozen biscuits are typically less processed than canned — some brands (Mary B's) use simpler ingredient lists
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Pillsbury biscuits ultra-processed?
Yes. Pillsbury Grands biscuits are Level 4 with 15+ ingredients including enriched bleached flour, palm oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, DATEM, artificial butter flavor, and sodium aluminum phosphate. They are a fully industrial product despite the homestyle presentation.
Are frozen biscuits better than canned?
Frozen biscuits are generally less processed than canned (Level 3 vs Level 4). They do not need the extreme dough conditioning required for pressurized tube storage. Brands like Mary B's use shorter ingredient lists that are closer to a homemade recipe.
How do I make biscuits from scratch?
Cut cold butter into self-rising flour (or flour with baking powder and salt), stir in buttermilk until just combined, pat out to 1-inch thickness, cut, and bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes. The entire process takes under 20 minutes and produces a Level 2 product with 5 ingredients versus the 15+ in canned biscuits.