Is Belvita Breakfast Biscuits ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Bulking agent
- Emulsifier
- Flavouring
- E322 Lecithins
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 29 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Less processed breakfast biscuit
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Cereals 70.8%, WHEAT flour 50.8%, cereals 20% (WHEAT flour 6.4%, OAT 4.5%, OAT flakes 3.1%, whole BARLEY flour 2.9%, whole RYE flour 2.1%, spelt flour 1% (wheat)), sugar (processing marker), rapeseed oil, bulking agent (ultra-processing marker) (polydextrose), mineral blend (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, iron), whole MILK powder (processing marker) 0.9% (equivalent whole MILK 7.2%), raising agents (ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates), emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (SOYA lecithins (ultra-processing marker), e472e (ultra-processing marker)), flavourings (ultra-processing marker), skimmed MILK powder (processing marker), salt (processing marker)
Additives: E1200 Polydextrose , E322 Lecithins , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E503 Ammonium carbonates
As written on the pack
Cereals 70.8 % (WHEAT flour 50.8 %, wholegrain cereals 20% (wholegrain WHEAT flour 6.4 %, OAT grits 4.5 %, OAT flakes 3.1 %, whole BARLEY flour 2.9 %, whole RYE flour 2.1 %, spelt flour (WHEAT) 1 %)], sugar, rapeseed oil, bulking agent (polydextrose), mineral blend (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, iron), whole MILK powder 0.9 % (equivalent whole MILK 7.2 %), raising agents (ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates), emulsifiers (SOYA lecithins, E472e), flavourings, skimmed MILK powder, salt. MAY CONTAIN EGG, NUTS, SESAME SEEDS.
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.
- 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.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 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.
- Bulking agent Bulking agents are substances which contribute to the volume of a foodstuff without contributing significantly to its available energy value.
- 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.
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.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
- Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.
Among 28 breakfast biscuit
From least to most processed, this one ranks 16th. 82% of the breakfast biscuit here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7622202018671, last edited 27 March 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.