Is it ultra-processed?
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Is brioche Pasquier Pains au Chocolat ultra-processed?

Chocolate croissant Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of brioche Pasquier Pains au Chocolat

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:

  • 27 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed viennoiseries

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

Pain au Chocolat (WHEAT flour 42%), butter, Chocolate 12% (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter 2.9%, lecithins), Water, Sugar, Leaven 5% (WHEAT flour 3%, water, salt), Rapeseedoil, Yeast-Emulsifier (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Salt, WHEAT gluten, Citrus fibre, guar gum, WHEAT proteins Carrot extract-Flour treatment agent (ascorbic acid), MILK proteins, Chocolate from EU, Find out more at ra.org, including cereals containing gluten

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E322 Lecithins , E412 Guar gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Pain au Chocolat: WHEAT flour 42% - BUTTER (MILK) Chocolate* 12% [sugar, cocoa mass', cocoa butter' 2.9%, emulsifier: lecithins (SOYA)] - Water - Sugar - Leaven 5% (WHEAT flour 3%, water, salt) - Rapeseedoil - Yeast-Emulsifier: mono and diglycerides of fatty acids - Salt - WHEAT gluten - Citrus fibre - Thickener: guar gum - WHEAT proteins Carrot extract-Flour treatment agent: ascorbic acid - MILK proteins. *Chocolate from EU origin. 1 ¹ Rainforest Alliance Certified. Find out more at ra.org. For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in BOLD. May also contain peanuts.

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.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • 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.

  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • 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.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 21 chocolate croissant

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 100% of the chocolate croissant 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 21 chocolate croissant, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 3256540031814, last edited 29 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.