Is Huel Strawberry Banana Black Edition ultra-processed?

500 ml Protein shakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E418 Gellan gum
Flavouring

45 ingredients
3 additives

Less processed protein shakes

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, Pea Protein, Faba Bean Protein, Tapioca Starch (processing marker), Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Milk, Natural Flavourings (ultra-processing marker), Flaxseed, Soluble Vegetable Fibre (Chicory, Corn), Coconut Sugar (processing marker), Micronutrient Blend (Minerals (Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Zinc, iodine, Chromium), vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A, Niacin, vitamin D, vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, Folate, Choline), Flaxseed Oil (processing marker), Medium-Chain Triglyceride Powder (from Coconut), Green Tea Extract, Enzymatically Produced Steviol Glycosides, Steviol Glycosides from Stevia, Gellan Gum (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E418 Gellan gum , E960a Steviol glycosides from Stevia , E960c Enzymatically produced steviol glycosides

As written on the pack

Water, Pea Protein, Faba Bean Protein, Tapioca Starch, Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Milk Powder, Natural Flavourings, Ground Flaxseed, Soluble Vegetable Fibre (Chicory, Corn), Coconut Sugar, Micronutrient Blend (Minerals (Potassium, Chloride, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Zinc, iodine, Chromium), Vitamins (C, K, E, A, Niacin, D, B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, B6, B2, B1, Folate), Choline), Flaxseed Oil Powder, Medium-Chain Triglyceride Powder (from Coconut), Green Tea Extract, Sweetener: Enzymatically Produced Steviol Glycosides, Steviol Glycosides from Stevia, Thickener: Gellan Gum.

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.

E418 Gellan gum Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food.
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.

Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 158 protein shakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 27th. 97% of the protein shakes 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 158 protein shakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060925292138, last edited 3 October 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.