Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Belvita Soft Bakes Choc Chip ultra-processed?

5x Breakfast biscuit Sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France

Pack of Belvita Soft Bakes Choc Chip

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:

  • 36 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed breakfast biscuit

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

Cereals 43.9% WHEAT flour 25%, cereals 16.8% (buckwheat 6.5%, OAT 6.5%, BARLEY flour 1%, spelt flour 1% (wheat), OAT flakes 1%, WHEAT flour 0.8%), rice flour 2%, malted WHEAT flour 0.1%1, chocolate drops 11% (cocoa mass, sugar, SOYA lecithins), rapeseed oil, sugar, modified starch, glycerol, chicory root fiber, isomaltulose, maltitol, minerals (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, elemental iron), SOYA lecithins, e472b, e475, glucose syrup, salt, sodium carbonates, skimmed MILK powder, WHEAT gluten, dextrose, flavourings

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E322 Lecithins , E422 Glycerol , E472b Lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E965 Maltitol

As written on the pack

Cereals 43,9 % WHEAT flour 25 %, wholegrain cereals 16,8% (wholegrain crushed buckwheat 6,5 %, OAT grits 6,5%, wholegrain BARLEY flour 1 %, wholegrain spelt flour (WHEAT) 1 %, OAT flakes 1 %, wholegrain WHEAT flour 0,8%), rice flour 2 %, malted WHEAT flour 0,1 %1, chocolate drops 11% [cocoa mass, sugar, emulsifier (SOYA lecithins)], rapeseed oil, sugar, modified starch, humectant (glycerol), chicory root fiber, isomaltulose****, bulking agent (maltitol), minerals (calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, elemental iron), emulsifiers (SOYA lecithins, E472b, E475), glucose syrup, salt, raising agent (sodium carbonates), skimmed MILK powder, WHEAT gluten, dextrose, flavourings. Isomaltulose is a source of glucose and fructose.

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • 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.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E472b Lactic 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.
  • E475 Polyglycerol esters 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.
  • E965 Maltitol Maltitol is a sugar alcohol made from starch, used as a sweetener in "no added sugar" sweets and chocolate.
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  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • 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.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
5 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 28 breakfast biscuit

From least to most processed, this one ranks 26th. 82% of the breakfast biscuit 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 28 breakfast biscuit, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7622210445346, last edited 14 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.