Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Hershey's Zero Sugar Chocolate Syrup ultra-processed?

17.5 oz (1 lb 1.5 oz) 496 g Flavoured syrups Sold in the United States, Bolivia and France

Pack of Hershey's Zero Sugar Chocolate Syrup

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 7 additives

Less processed flavoured syrups

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

water, cocoa processed with alkali, glycerin, erythritol, sodium acid sulfate 2%, NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, xanthan gum, salt, potassium sorbate (to maintain freshness), sodium benzoate (to maintain freshness), acesulfame potassium, sucralose, zinc sulfate, vitamin e acetate, niacinamide, biotin

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E211 Sodium benzoate , E415 Xanthan gum , E422 Glycerol , E950 Acesulfame k , E955 Sucralose , E968 Erythritol

As written on the pack

WATER, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, GLYCERIN, ERYTHRITOL, 2% SODIUM ACID SULFATE, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM, SALT, POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), SODIUM BENZOATE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCRALOSE, ZINC SULFATE, VITAMIN E ACETATE, NIACINAMIDE, BIOTIN.

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.

  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • 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.
  • E968 Erythritol 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.
  • 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 46 flavoured syrups

From least to most processed, this one ranks 36th. 67% of the flavoured syrups 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 46 flavoured syrups, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 03412505, last edited 19 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.