Is Kellogg’s Strawberry protein meal bars ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 34 ingredients
- 7 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed dry biscuits
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Polydextrose, soy protein isolate, vegetable oil (processing marker) (soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil), strawberry flavored cranberries (sugar (processing marker), cranberries, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), sugar (processing marker), whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), fructose (ultra-processing marker), corn syrup, pectin (ultra-processing marker), milk, vegetable glycerin (ultra-processing marker), natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), oats, sorbitol (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), water, rosemary extract, almond flour, peanut flour, wheat starch (processing marker), calcium carbonate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E acetate, reduced iron, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3
Additives: E1200 Polydextrose , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E392 Extracts of rosemary , E420 Sorbitol , E422 Glycerol , E440 Pectins
As written on the pack
Polydextrose, soy protein isolate, vegetable oil (soybean oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil), strawberry flavored cranberries (sugar, dried cranberries, natural flavor), sugar, whey protein isolate, fructose, corn syrup, pectin, milk, vegetable glycerin, natural flavors, whole grain oats, sorbitol, salt, soy lecithin, water, rosemary extract, almond flour, partially defatted peanut flour, wheat starch, calcium carbonate, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E acetate, reduced iron, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D3.
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.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
- 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.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
- Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
5 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.
- 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.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 68 dry biscuits
From least to most processed, this one ranks 56th. 84% of the dry biscuits here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0038000306372, last edited 12 February 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.