Is Cliff Bar Chocolate chip energy bars, chocolate chip ultra-processed?

16.8 OZ (476 g) Bars 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
Vegetable fiber
E322 Lecithins

43 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed 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

brown rice syrup, rolled oats, soy protein isolate, cane syrup, soybeans, rice flour, cane syrup, oat fiber (ultra-processing marker), chocolate++, soy flour, sunflower oil (processing marker), date paste, cocoa butter++, molasses powder, soybean oil (processing marker), barley malt extract, salt (processing marker), vanilla extract, soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), cinnamon, vitamins, minerals (dicalcium phosphate), magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), beta carotene (vitamin a), niacinamide (vitamin b3), ergocalciferol (vitamin d2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), riboflavin (vitamin b2), cyanocobalamin (vitamin b12)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341ii Dicalcium phosphate

As written on the pack

Organic brown rice syrup, organic rolled oats, soy protein isolate, organic cane syrup, organic roasted soybeans, rice flour, dried cane syrup, organic oat fiber, unsweetened chocolate++, organic soy flour, organic sunflower oil, organic date paste, cocoa butter++, molasses powder, organic soybean oil, barley malt extract, salt, vanilla extract, soy lecithin, natural flavors, cinnamon. vitamins & minerals: dicalcium phosphate, magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid (vit. c), dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vit. e), beta carotene (vit. a), niacinamide (vit. b3), ergocalciferol (vit. d2), thiamine mononitrate (vit. b1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vit. b6), riboflavin (vit. b2), cyanocobalamin (vit. b12).

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.
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.

3 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.
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 1,328 bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 631st. 89% of the 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 1,328 bars, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0722252165244, last edited 10 February 2022), 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.