Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Crystal Light Lemonade Drink Mix ultra-processed?

10ct 0.14 OZ (3.96g) Packets / 1.4 OZ (39.6g) Dehydrated beverages Sold in the United States

Pack of Crystal Light Lemonade Drink Mix

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:

  • 13 ingredients
  • 7 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

Citric acid, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, aspartame+, magnesium oxide, maltodextrin, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, acesulfame potassium, soy lecithin, artificial color, yellow 5, bha (preserves freshness)

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha) , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E950 Acesulfame k , E951 Aspartame

As written on the pack

Citric acid, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, aspartame+, magnesium oxide, maltodextrin, contains less than 2% of natural flavor, acesulfame potassium, soy lecithin, artificial color, yellow 5, bha (preserves freshness).

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.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • 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.
  • E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
  • E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 dehydrated beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 51st. 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 0043000945025, last edited 28 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.