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Is Ice Breakers Duo Fruit + Cool Strawberry ultra-processed?

1.3 oz (36 g) Hard candies Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Pack of Ice Breakers Duo Fruit + Cool Strawberry

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:

  • 19 ingredients
  • 11 additives

Less processed hard 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

sorbitol, maltodextrin, malic acid 2%, magnesium stearate, maltitol, aspartame, citric acid, artificial flavor, modified cornstarch, hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil), artificial color (red 40 lake, red 40, blue 1), gum acacia, lecithin

Additives: E129 Allura red , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E296 Malic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E414 Acacia gum , E420 Sorbitol , E572 Magnesium stearate , E951 Aspartame , E965 Maltitol

As written on the pack

SORBITOL, MALTODEXTRIN, 2% MALIC ACID, MAGNESIUM STEARATE, MALTITOL, ASPARTAME, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN OIL, COTTONSEED OIL, PALM OIL), ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40 LAKE, RED 40, BLUE 1), GUM ACACIA, LECITHIN (SOY).

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.

  • E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • 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.
  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
Show 4 more
  • E965 Maltitol Maltitol is a sugar alcohol made from starch, used as a sweetener in "no added sugar" sweets and chocolate.
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • Hydrogenated oil Hydrogenation turns liquid oil into a solid fat that resists going rancid.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.

  • Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 15 hard candies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 15th. 87% of the hard 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 15 hard candies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 03466506, last edited 4 August 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.