Is Arkadia Spice chai tea ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 17 ingredients
- 5 additives
Less processed instant beverages
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Sugar (processing marker), glucose syrup (ultra-processing marker), vegetable fat (processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), flavours (ultra-processing marker), instant tea 3.5%, milk selids, stabilisers (340, 451, 452), emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (471, soy lithin), salt (processing marker), anticaking agent (processing marker) (551)
Additives: E340 Potassium phosphates , E451 Triphosphates , E452 Polyphosphates , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E551 Silicon dioxide
As written on the pack
Sugar, glucose syrup solids, vegetable fat, maltodextrin, flavours, instant tea (3.5%), milk selids, stabilisers (340, 451, 452), emulsifiers (471, soy lithin), salt, anticaking agent (551).
What makes it ultra-processed
Cosmetic additives
Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- E451 Triphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- E452 Polyphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- E551 Silicon dioxide A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
Substances rarely used in home kitchens
Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
Among 197 instant beverages
From least to most processed, this one ranks 177th. 57% of the instant beverages here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9324127000226, last edited 2 April 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
- Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.