Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears ultra-processed?

52 oz Gummy bears Sold in the United States

Pack of Black Forest Organic Gummy Bears

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed candies

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

tapioca syrup, cane sugar, water, gelatin, lemon juice concentrate, tapioca starch, potato starch, agar, sunflower oil, citric acid, fruit and vegetable (color), natural flavors, turmeric (color), orange oil, carnauba wax, natural flavor

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E406 Agar , E428 Gelatine , E903 Carnauba wax

As written on the pack

organic tapioca syrup, organic cane sugar, water, gelatin, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic tapioca starch, organic potato starch, organic agar, organic sunflower oil, citric acid, organic fruit and vegetable juice (color), natural flavors, organic turmeric (color), organic orange oil, organic carnauba wax, organic natural flavor

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.

  • E406 Agar 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.
  • E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
  • E903 Carnauba wax Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm and gives sweets and coated chocolates their shine.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.

  • Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
  • 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 12 gummy bears

From least to most processed, this one ranks 4th. 100% of the gummy bears 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 12 gummy bears, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041420081309, last edited 12 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.
  • 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.