Is M&S Pretzel mini bites ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 27 ingredients
- 2 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed pretzel
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Suitable nut Not allergy Sugar Cornflakes, Corn Sugar Salt Barley Malt Extract Iron Niacin Pantothenic Acid Vitamin B6, Riboflavins Thiamin Folic Acid, vitamins, D Vitamin B12 Palm Oil Fudge 14% (Sugar Glucose Syrup Sweetened Condensed Skimmed Milk (Milk Sugar (ultra-processing marker)), Palm Oil, Unsalted Butter (processing marker), Humectant (ultra-processing marker) (Glycerol Dextrose Cornflour, Sea Salt (processing marker), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker)), e471 Dried Glucose Syrup), Pretzels 12% (Wheatflour* Rapeseed Oil Sea Salt Dextrose Acidity, Regulator (e524 Dried Yeast)), Lactose (ultra-processing marker), Yogurt, Émulsifier (ultra-processing marker), Soya Lecithin Sea Salt, with Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B3 tires, B1, adult
Additives: E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E524 Sodium hydroxide
As written on the pack
Suitable nut Not allergy Sugar Cornflakes (Corn Sugar Salt Barley Malt Extract Iron Niacin Pantothenic Acid Vitamin B6. Riboflavins Thiamin Folic Acid. Vitamin D Vitamin B12) Palm Oil Fudge (14%) (Sugar Glucose Syrup Sweetened Condensed Skimmed Milk (Skimmed Milk Sugar) Palm Oil - Unsalted Butter (Milk) Humectant: Glycerol Dextrose Cornflour. Sea Salt. Emulsifier: E471 Dried Glucose Syrup) Pretzels (12%) (Wheatflour* Rapeseed Oil Sea Salt Dextrose Acidity - . Regulator: E524 Dried Yeast) Lactose (Milk) Dried Yogurt (Milk) · Émulsifier: - Soya Lecithin Sea Salt. *Fortified with Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B3 tires 1.5g <0.5g and B1. adult)
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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
- Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
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.
- Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
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 64 pretzel
From least to most processed, this one ranks 54th. 63% of the pretzel here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 29403684, last edited 10 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.