Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Karen Volf Brownie Bites ultra-processed?

144 g Brownies Sold in Sweden, Denmark and France

Pack of Karen Volf Brownie Bites

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 10 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed brownies

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

sugar, eggs, rapeseed oil, wheat starch, palm-kernel oil, wheat flour, chocolate 5% (sugar, cocoa mass 33%, cocoa butter 8%, vegetable emulsifier (e322)), fat-reduced cocoa 5%, palm oil, stabilization agent (e420), flavourings (lemon, vanilla), corn starch, whey powder, salt, vegetable emulsifier (e322, e471, e475, e492), e281, e202, baking powder (e450, e500), shea oil, e330

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E281 Sodium propionate , E322 Lecithins , E330 Citric acid , E420 Sorbitol , E450 Diphosphates , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids , E492 Sorbitan tristearate , E500 Sodium carbonates

As written on the pack

sugar, eggs, rapeseed oil, wheat starch, palm - kernel oil, wheat flour, 5% chocolate (eu and non-eu) [sugar, 33% cocoa mass, 8% cocoa butter, vegetable emulsifier (e322)], 5% fat-reduced cocoa, palm oil, stabilization agent (e420), flavourings (lemon, vanilla), corn starch, whey powder (milk), salt, vegetable emulsifier (e322, e471, e475, e492), preservative (e281, e202), baking powder (e450, e500), shea oil, acidity regulator (e330)

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.
  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E492 Sorbitan tristearate Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
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  • 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.

  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
7 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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • 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 29 brownies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 19th. 93% of the brownies 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 29 brownies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5709364674449, last edited 21 March 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.