Is Carnation Simply Hot Chocolate ultra-processed?

Cocoa and chocolate powders Sold in Canada

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Milk

11 ingredients
No additives

Less processed cocoa and chocolate powders

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

cane sugar (processing marker), milk ingredients (ultra-processing marker), cocoa, salt (processing marker), vanilla flavour (ultra-processing marker), ingrédients (sucre de canne), substances laitières modifiées, cacao, sel, arôme de vanille

As written on the pack

cane sugar, modified milk ingredients, cocoa, salt, vanilla flavour. ingrédients: sucre de canne, substances laitières modifiées, cacao, sel, arôme de vanille.

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.

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.

Milk An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 120 cocoa and chocolate powders

From least to most processed, this one ranks 75th. 53% of the cocoa and chocolate powders 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 120 cocoa and chocolate powders, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0055000382311, last edited 30 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.