Is Halva Lakrids Jordgubb ultra-processed?

Candies Sold in Aland Islands

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Colour
Flavouring
Glazing agent
Glucose
Humectant
Thickener
and 5 more

17 ingredients
6 additives

Less processed candies

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

JORDGUBBSSMAKANDE LAKRITS Ingredienser (Glukos-fruktossirap (ultra-processing marker)), vetemjöl, socker (processing marker), fuktighetsbevarande medel (ultra-processing marker) (sorbitolsirap (ultra-processing marker)), surhetsreglerande medel (citronsyra, natriumcitrat), arom (ultra-processing marker), färgämne (ultra-processing marker) (karmin (ultra-processing marker)), förtjockningsmedel (ultra-processing marker) (guarkärnmjöl (ultra-processing marker)), lakritsextrakt 0.1%, ytbehandlingsmedel (ultra-processing marker) (karnaubavax (ultra-processing marker))

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E420 Sorbitol , E420ii Sorbitol syrup , E903 Carnauba wax

As written on the pack

JORDGUBBSSMAKANDE LAKRITS Ingredienser: Glukos-fruktossirap, VETEMJÖL, socker, fuktighetsbevarande medel (sorbitolsirap), surhetsreglerande medel (citronsyra, natriumcitrat), arom, färgämne (karmin), förtjockningsmedel (guarkärnmjöl), lakritsextrakt (0,1%, ursprung: icke - EU), ytbehandlingsmedel (karnaubavax).

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.

E120 Cochineal Carmine is a red colour made from cochineal insects.
E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
E903 Carnauba wax Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm and gives sweets and coated chocolates their shine.
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.

Show 3 more

Glazing agent Glazing agents, waxes and shellac for example, coat a surface to make it shiny or stop pieces sticking together.
Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.
Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn 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.

Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 486 candies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 408th. 96% of the candies 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 486 candies, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 6420900028296, last edited 31 August 2025), 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.