Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Hotel Chocolat Salted caramel drinking chocolate ultra-processed?

Instant chocolate powders Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Hotel Chocolat Salted caramel drinking 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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed instant chocolate powders

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

Cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream MILK powder, caramel sugar, glucose syrup, skimmed MILK powder, caramelised sugar, sea salt, emulsifiers (sunflower lecithin, SOYA lecithin), flavourings, natural (paprika), Milk chocolate contains minimum 50% cocoa solids, milk 20%, Caramel milk chocolate contains minimum 36% coco minimum 26% milk solids, including cereals containing gluten, w sesame

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

Cocoa solids (cocoa butter, cocoa mass), sugar, full cream MILK powder, caramel sugar, glucose syrup), skimmed MILK powder, caramelised sugar, sea salt, emulsifiers (sunflower lecithin, SOYA lecithin), flavourings, natural (paprika). Milk chocolate contains minimum 50% cocoa solids, minimum 20% milk solids. Caramel milk chocolate contains minimum 36% coco minimum 26% milk solids. For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in BOLD. May contain tree nuts, peanuts, gluten w sesame. Suitable for vegetarians. Alcohol free. No artificial flavours.

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.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
4 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
  • 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 51 instant chocolate powders

From least to most processed, this one ranks 32nd. 88% of the instant chocolate powders 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 51 instant chocolate powders, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5055365679755, last edited 19 April 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.