Is it ultra-processed?
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Is McVitie's digestive dark chocolate ultra-processed?

266 g Biscuits Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of McVitie's digestive dark chocolate

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:

  • 24 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed biscuits

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

Flour 39% (Wheat Flou Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Dark C 30%, Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable F Shea, Butter Oil, Co Butter, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, e476), Natural Flavouring, Vegetable Oil (Palm Vegetable Oil), Wholeme Wheat Flour 9%, Sugar, Gucose-Fructos Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate Malic Acid, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Salt

Additives: E296 Malic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate , E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503ii Ammonium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Flour (39%) (Wheat Flou Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Dark C (30%) [Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable F Shea),Butter Oil (Milk), Co Butter, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, E476), Natural Flavouring), Vegetable Oil (Palm) Wholeme Wheat Flour (9%), Sugar, Gucose-Fructos Syrup, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate Malic Acid, Ammonium Bicarbonate), Salt.

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.
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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,514 biscuits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 893rd. 83% of the biscuits 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 1,514 biscuits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000168033877, last edited 27 March 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.