Is Gatorade Orange zero sugar thirst quencher powder ultra-processed?

Sweetened 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
Modified starch
E110 Sunset yellow FCF
E950 Acesulfame k
E955 Sucralose

13 ingredients
8 additives

Less processed sweetened 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, sodium citrate, salt (processing marker), monopotassium phosphate, modified food starch (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), sucralose (ultra-processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), silicon dioxide, acesulfame potassium (ultra-processing marker), yellow 6 (ultra-processing marker), tocopherols (to protect flavor (processing marker))

Additives: E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E340 Potassium phosphates , E340i Monopotassium phosphate , E950 Acesulfame k , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

citric acid, sodium citrate, salt, monopotassium phosphate, modified food starch, maltodextrin, sucralose, natural flavor, silicon dioxide, acesulfame potassium, yellow 6, tocopherols (to protect flavor)

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.

E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.

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.

Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 550 sweetened beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 479th. 94% of the sweetened 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 550 sweetened beverages, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0052000044904, last edited 12 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.