Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Built Puff Peanuts butter cup ultra-processed?

40 g Protein Energy Bars Sold in the United States

Pack of Built Puff Peanuts butter cup

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:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 4 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

Premium Collagen Protein Blend (Collagen, Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate), Glycerin, Sugar, Water, Palm Kernel Oil, Peanut Flour, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Nonfat Dry Milk, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Peanut Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Dextrose

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol , E428 Gelatine

As written on the pack

Premium Collagen Protein Blend (Collagen, Partially Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate), Glycerin, Sugar, Water, Palm Kernel Oil, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Gelatin, Natural Flavors, Nonfat Dry Milk, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Peanut Oil, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Cultured Dextrose.

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.
  • E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
  • 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.

  • 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.
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.
  • 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.
  • 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 69 protein Energy Bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 40th. 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 0840229306466, last edited 5 August 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.