Is BUILDERS PROTEIN Chocolate Mint ultra-processed?

2.4ox Protein Energy Bars Sold in the United States, Australia and France

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Vegetable fiber
E322 Lecithins
E422 Glycerol

41 ingredients
3 additives

Less processed protein Energy Bars

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

soy protein isolate, beet syrup, brown rice syrup, cane sugar (processing marker), palm kernel oil, cocoa 3.9%, chocolate 2.2%, soy protein, glycerol (ultra-processing marker), natural flavourings (ultra-processing marker), rolled oats, rice starch (processing marker), oat fibre (ultra-processing marker), high oleic sunflower oil (processing marker), sunflower oil (processing marker), cocoa butter (processing marker) 0.8%, soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), vitamins, minerals (calcium carbonate), magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), beta carotene (vitamin A), nicotinamide (niacin), d-calcium pantothenate (pantothenic acid), riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), ergocalciferol (vitamin D), cyanocobalamin, potassium iodide (processing marker)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, BEET SYRUP, BROWN RICE SYRUP, CANE SUGAR, PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA (3.9%), UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE (2.2%), SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, HUMECTANT: GLYCEROL, NATURAL FLAVOURINGS, ROLLED OATS, RICE STARCH, OAT FIBRE, HIGH OLEIC SUNFLOWER OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, COCOA BUTTER (0.8%), EMULSIFIER: SOY LECITHIN, SALT. VITAMINS & MINERALS: CALCIUM CARBONATE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ASCORBIC ACID (VIT. C), DL-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VIT. E), THIAMINE MONONITRATE (VIT. B1), BETA CAROTENE (VIT.A), NICOTINAMIDE (NIACIN), D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE (PANTOTHENIC ACID), RIBOFLAVIN (VIT. B2), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VIT. B6), ERGOCALCIFEROL (VIT. D), CYANOCOBALAMIN (VIT. B12), POTASSIUM IODIDE

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.
E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
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.

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.

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.

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 fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
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 69 protein Energy Bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 32nd. 94% of the protein Energy Bars 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 69 protein Energy Bars, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0722252601445, last edited 28 September 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.