Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Mars starburst fruit chews ultra-processed?

Candies Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Mars starburst fruit chews

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 6 additives

Less processed candies

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

glucose with apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, lemon acid, modified starch, acid (malic acid), dextrin, flavourings, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, lemon, acid citric colours anthocyanins, beta-carotene, spirulina extract, rence intake of an avi gb get in touch (© 0800 952 0077 @www), mars, co, uk, contact with apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, lem flavours, fruit juices, ingredients (glo)

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E14XX Modified Starch , E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E163 Anthocyanins , E296 Malic acid

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E163 Anthocyanins.

As written on the pack

glucose with apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime and lemon acid, modified starch, acid malic acid, dextrin, flavourings, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, lemon), acid citric colours anthocyanins, beta-carotene, spirulina extract, rence intake of an avi gb get in touch: © 0800 952 0077 @www,mars,co,uk/contact with apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime and lem flavours and concentrated fruit juices, ingredients: glo

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.

  • E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E163 Anthocyanins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.

  • Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 486 candies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 221st. 96% of the candies 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 486 candies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4009900538947, last edited 16 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.