Is Kirkland Signature Chewy Protein 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:
- 35 ingredients
- 4 additives
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Peanuts, Soya protein (soya protein, tapioca starch (processing marker), salt (processing marker)), Fructooligosaccharides (ultra-processing marker), Dark chocolate flavoured coating (sugar (processing marker), palm kernel oil (ultra-processing marker), cocoal powder, milk ingredients, soya lecithin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker)), Peanut butter, Sugars (processing marker) (glucose (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker)), Semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar (processing marker), chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soya lecithin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), vanilla extract), Glycerin (ultra-processing marker), Soya protein isolate, Gum arabic (ultra-processing marker), Chicory root inulin, Sea salt (processing marker), Soya lecithin (ultra-processing marker), coconut, Almonds, Natural flavour (ultra-processing marker), Almond butter, shell fragments
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E414 Acacia gum , E422 Glycerol
As written on the pack
Peanuts, Soya protein concentrate (soya protein concentrate, tapioca starch, salt), Fructooligosaccharides, Dark chocolate flavoured coating (sugar, modified palm kernel oil, cocoal powder, milk ingredients, soya lecithin, salt), Peanut butter, Sugars (glucose, maltodextrin), Semi-sweet chocolate chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soya lecithin, salt, vanilla extract), Glycerin, Soya protein isolate, Gum arabic, Chicory root inulin, Sea salt, Soya lecithin, Dried unsweetened coconut, Almonds, Natural flavour, Almond butter. Contains: Almonds, Milk, Peanuts, Soya. May contain: Eggs, Other tree nuts. May contain nut shell fragments.
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.
- E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
- Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
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.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
- Palm kernel oil An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
4 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.
Among 488 cereal bars
From least to most processed, this one ranks 380th. 91% of the cereal bars here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0096619081257, last edited 5 May 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.
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.