Is Mars Chocolate Bar ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 20 ingredients
- 2 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed chocolate candies
-
Dark milk chocolate with blood orange
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6 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Dark Chocolate
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3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Almond Butter & Salted Caramel Cups
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NOVA group
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chocolate orange dipped almonds
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NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
sugar (processing marker), glucose syrup (ultra-processing marker), skimmed portionserce ilk povder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sunflower oil (processing marker), milk fat, palm fat, lactose (ultra-processing marker), whey permeate (ultra-processing marker), from s fat reduced cocoa, barley malt extract, emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (soya lecithin (ultra-processing marker)), salt (processing marker), egg white powder, milk nution informatio drotein, vanilla extract, milk chocolate contaíns milk solids 14%, lk chocolate contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin
As written on the pack
sugar, glucose syrup, skimmed portionserce ilk povder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sunflower oil, milk fat, palm fat, lactose, whey permeate (from s fat reduced cocoa, barley malt extract, emulsifier (soya lecithin), salt, egg white powder, milk nution informatio drotein, vanilla extract. (may contain: peanut). milk chocolate contaíns milk solids 14% minimum. lk chocolate contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter. suitable for vegetarians
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.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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.
- Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
- Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- 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.
Among 773 chocolate candies
From least to most processed, this one ranks 522nd. 91% of the chocolate candies here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000159484527, last edited 29 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.