Is Lidl Simply Dark Chocolate ultra-processed?

100 g Dark chocolate bar Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
Flavouring
E322 Lecithins
E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

10 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed dark chocolate bar

Dark milk chocolate with blood orange Marks & Spencer 6 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Dark Chocolate Waitrose & Partners 3 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Nut Butter Filled Cashew Butter + Pure Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Hu 6 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Single Origin - Intense Dark Cacao Marks & Spencer 1 ingredient · no additives NOVA group 3

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

Sugar (processing marker), Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (Soya Lecithins (ultra-processing marker)), Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate (ultra-processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Dark Chocolate contains (Cocoa Solids)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

As written on the pack

Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifiers: Soya Lecithins, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate; Flavouring. Dark Chocolate contains: Cocoa Solids 50% Minimum. Allergy Advice: For allergens, see ingredients in bold. May also contain Milk, Nuts, Peanuts and Cereals containing Gluten.

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.
E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is an emulsifier made from castor oil.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

3 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.

Chocolates Products in the category "Chocolates" are at least group 3.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 56 dark chocolate bar

From least to most processed, this one ranks 53rd. 55% of the dark chocolate bar 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 56 dark chocolate bar, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4335619094031, last edited 14 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.
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.