Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Kirkland Signature Granola Bars ultra-processed?

48 x 31g (1.48kg) Cereal bars Sold in Canada

Pack of Kirkland Signature Granola Bars

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:

  • 62 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed cereal bars

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

milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, chocolate liquor, soya lecithin, vanilla powder), caramel fondant (glucose, sugar, milk ingredients, coconut oil, monoglycerides, soya lecithin, salt, pectin), sugars (glucose, sugar, fructose, honey), granola (whole rolled oats, sugar, canola oil (canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour), fancy molasses, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin), crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, calcium carbonate, barley malt extract (corn syrup solids, barley malt extract), salt), frosted crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, canola oil, canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour), calcium carbonate, salt, fancy molasses, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin, canola oil (canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour), glycerin, coconut, soya lecithin natural flavour salt, wheat flakes, milk, oats, soya

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol , E440 Pectins , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, chocolate liquor, soya lecithin, vanilla powder) • caramel fondant (glucose, sugar, milk ingredients, coconut oil, monoglycerides, soya lecithin, salt, pectin) • sugars (glucose, sugar, fructose, honey) • granola (whole rolled oats, sugar, canola oil [canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour], fancy molasses, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin) • crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, calcium carbonate, barley malt extract [corn syrup solids, barley malt extract], salt) • frosted crisp rice (rice flour, sugar, canola oil [canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour), calcium carbonate, salt, fancy molasses, sodium bicarbonate, soya lecithin) • canola oil (canola oil, ascorbic acid, natural flavour) • glycerin • dried unsweetened coconut • soya lecithin natural flavour salt• wheat flakes. contains: barley • milk • oats • soya •

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.
  • 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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
6 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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 488 cereal bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 355th. 91% of the cereal bars 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 488 cereal bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0096619199778, last edited 14 September 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.