Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Arnott’s Monte Carlo ultra-processed?

250 g Biscuits Sold in Australia, New Zealand and France

Pack of Arnott’s Monte Carlo

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed biscuits

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Soy Lecithin, e307b from Soy), Jam 5% (Sugar, Apple Puree, Glucose, Raspberry Juice, Food Colour (e120), Pectin, e330, e331, Flavour), Desiccated Coconut 1%, Wheat Starch, Salt, Goldn Syrup, Honey 0.3%, Baking Powder, Eggs, Soy Lecithin, Flavour

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E307b Concentrated tocopherol , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E440 Pectins

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Antioxidant (E307b from Soy)), Jam (5%) (Sugar, Apple Puree, Glucose, Raspberry Juice, Food Colour (E120), Gelling Agent (Pectin), Food Acids (E330, E331), Flavour), Desiccated Coconut (1%), Wheat Starch, Salt, Goldn Syrup, Honey (0.3%), Baking Powder, Eggs, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Flavour.

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.

  • E120 Cochineal Carmine is a red colour made from cochineal insects.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
  • 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.
6 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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,514 biscuits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1061st. 83% of the biscuits here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 1,514 biscuits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9310072001005, last edited 6 June 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.