Is Choco Milk Drink Mix ultra-processed?

Dehydrated beverages Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E322 Lecithins
E428 Gelatine

35 ingredients
5 additives

Less processed dehydrated beverages

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

Sugar (processing marker), corn syrup solids, cocoa processed with alkali, and less than 2% (calcium phosphate), salt (processing marker), magnesium oxide, ferrous fumarate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide (processing marker), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin b6 hydrochloride, vitamin a (vitamin a palmitate, fish gelatin (ultra-processing marker) (emulsifier derived from cod, pollock, haddock, hake, cusk, flatfish and redfish)), vitamins, vitamin d3, folic acid, biotin, vitamin e acetate, vitamin b12, natural and artificial flavor (ultra-processing marker), sulfites

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E341 Calcium phosphates , E428 Gelatine , E530 Magnesium oxide

As written on the pack

Sugar, corn syrup solids, cocoa processed with alkali, and less than 2%: calcium phosphate, salt, magnesium oxide, ferrous fumarate, zinc sulfate, potassium iodide, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin b6 hydrochloride, vitamin a (vitamin a palmitate, fish gelatin {emulsifier derived from cod, pollock, haddock, hake, cusk, flatfish and redfish}), vitamin d3, folic acid, biotin, vitamin e acetate, vitamin b12, natural and artificial flavor, sulfites.

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.
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.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

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 60 dehydrated beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 33rd. 88% of the dehydrated beverages 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 60 dehydrated beverages, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0300878450496, last edited 13 March 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.