Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Essential waitrose Multi Grain Hoops ultra-processed?

Extruded cereals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Essential waitrose Multi Grain Hoops

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:

  • 28 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed extruded cereals

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

wheat flour, oat flour, sugar, barley flour, wheat starch, maize flour, rice flour, caramelised sugar syrup, salt, colours (paprika extract, carrot extract), flavouring, niacin, iron, acidity regulator (citric acid), pantothenic acid (B5), vitamins, vitamin B6, riboflavin, vitamins, vitamin B1, folic acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 ALLERGY ADVICE, including cereals containing gluten

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Wholegrain wheat flour, wholegrain oat flour, sugar, barley flour, wheat starch, maize flour, rice flour, caramelised sugar syrup, salt, colours (paprika extract, carrot extract), flavouring, niacin, iron, acidity regulator (citric acid), pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B6, riboflavin, Vitamin B1, folic acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 ALLERGY ADVICE: For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. May contain soya, milk and nuts

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 373 extruded cereals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 278th. 64% of the extruded cereals 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 373 extruded cereals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000169579336, last edited 27 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.