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Is Elevation Protein Meal Bars Double Chocolate ultra-processed?

9.5 oz (270 g) Protein bars Sold in the United States

Pack of Elevation Protein Meal Bars Double Chocolate

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:

  • 67 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed protein 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

dark chocolate flavored coating (sugar, palm kernel oil, cocoa powder, dry whole milk, soy lecithin, salt), isolated soy protein, fructooligosaccharides, isolated soy protein (isolated soy protein, tapioca starch, salt), corn syrup, chicory roon inulin, glycerin, semisweet chocolate chips (sugar chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla extract), vitamins, minerals (palmitate (vitamin a), tricalcium phosphate, cholecalciferol (vitamin d3), ascorbic acid (vitamin c), niacinamide (vitamin b3), zinc oxide, ferrous fumarate (iron), dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vitamin ej, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin b6), riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), folic acid, cyanocobalamin), crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, calcium carbonate, salt), natural flavor, canola oil (canola oil, ascorbic acid, preservative, rosemary extract), cocoa powder, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, coconut, salt, wheat flakes, peanut butter, almond butter, coconut, not listed, contains bioengineered food ingredients

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E392 Extracts of rosemary , E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

DARK CHOCOLATE FLAVORED COATING (SUGAR, PALM KERNEL OIL, COCOA POWDER, DRY WHOLE MILK, SOY LECITHIN, SALT), ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN (ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, TAPIOCA STARCH, SALT), CORN SYRUP, CHICORY ROON INULIN, GLYCERIN, SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, VANILLA EXTRACT), VITAMINS AND MINERALS (PALMITATE [VITAMIN A], TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CHOLECALCIFEROL [VITAMIN D3], ASCORBIC ACID [VITAMIN C], NIACINAMIDE [VITAMIN B3], ZINC OXIDE, FERROUS FUMARATE [IRON], DL-ALPHA-TOCOPHERYL ACETATE [VITAMIN EJ, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], FOLIC ACID, CYANOCOBALAMIN [VITAMIN B12]), CRISP RICE (RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, SALT), NATURAL FLAVOR, CANOLA OIL (CANOLA OIL, ASCORBIC ACID - A PRESERVATIVE, ROSEMARY EXTRACT), COCOA POWDER (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), MALTODEXTRIN, SOY LECITHIN, DRIED UNSWEETENED COCONUT, SALT, WHEAT FLAKES, PEANUT BUTTER, ALMOND BUTTER. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY, WHEAT, PEANUTS, ALMONDS, COCONUT. MAY CONTAIN OTHER TREE NUTS NOT LISTED. CONTAINS BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENTS.

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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Cocoa powder An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
6 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.

  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • 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 426 protein bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 267th. 93% of the protein 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 426 protein bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4099100116298, last edited 28 September 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.