Is Kirkland Organic Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk ultra-processed?

24 x 244 mL Chocolate milks Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
E407 Carrageenan

9 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score C

Less processed chocolate milks

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

Grade A Reduced Fat Milk, Cane Sugar (processing marker), Cocoa, Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Carrageenan (ultra-processing marker), Vanilla Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Sea Salt (processing marker), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3

Additives: E407 Carrageenan

As written on the pack

Organic Grade A Reduced Fat Milk, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa, Organic Flavor, Carrageenan, Organic Vanilla Flavor, Sea Salt, 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.

E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
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 68 chocolate milks

From least to most processed, this one ranks 21st. 96% of the chocolate milks 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 68 chocolate milks, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0096619242542, last edited 10 September 2024), 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.