Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Irn Bru zero ultra-processed?

500 mL Carbonated soft drinks without fruit juice Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Irn Bru zero

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:

  • 11 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed carbonated drinks

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

Carbonated water, citric acid, flavorings (including caffeine, ammonium ferric citrate, quinine, aspartame, and potassium acesulfame), e211, Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 49

Additives: E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E211 Sodium benzoate , E330 Citric acid , E381 Ferric ammonium citrate , E951 Aspartame

As written on the pack

Carbonated water, citric acid, flavorings (including caffeine, ammonium ferric citrate, quinine, aspartame, and potassium acesulfame), preservative (E211), colors (Sunset Yellow FCF, Ponceau 49). Contains a source of phenylalanine.

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.

  • E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
  • E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 14 carbonated soft drinks without fruit juice

From least to most processed, this one ranks 3rd. 93% of the carbonated soft drinks without fruit juice 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 14 carbonated soft drinks without fruit juice, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000382102458, last edited 16 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.