Is Kellogg's Special k ultra-processed?

331 g Extruded cereals Sold in the United States, France and French Polynesia

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring

27 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed extruded cereals

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

wheat, rice, sugar (processing marker), strawberries, wheat bran, contains 2% and less of brown sugar syrup, salt (processing marker), malt flavor (ultra-processing marker), vitamins, minerals (vitamin c (ascorbic acid)), reduced iron, vitamin e acetate, niacinamide, beta-carotene, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b1 (thiamin hydrochloride), vitamins, vitamin b2, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamins, vitamin d3, vitamin b12

As written on the pack

whole grain wheat, rice, sugar, freeze-dried strawberries, wheat bran, contains 2% or less of brown sugar syrup, salt, malt flavor, vitamins and minerals: vitamin c (ascorbic acid), reduced iron, vitamin e acetate, niacinamide, beta-carotene, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b1 (thiamin hydrochloride), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), folic acid, vitamin d3, vitamin b12,

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.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 373 extruded cereals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 176th. 64% of the extruded cereals 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 373 extruded cereals, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0038000200748, last edited 4 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 D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.