Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Mentos Pure Fresh Gum ultra-processed?

100 g Sugar-free chewing gum Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Mentos Pure Fresh Gum

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 15 additives

Less processed confectioneries

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

Sweeteners (xylitol 32%, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol syrup, aspartame, acesulfame K), gum base, stabiliser (glycerol), maltodextrin, flavourings, starch, emulsifiers (sucrose esters of fatty acids, soya lecithin), thickeners (cellulose gum, xanthan gum), glazing agent (carnauba wax), coconut oil, antioxidant (e321), colour (brilliant blue FCF)

Additives: E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E321 Butylated hydroxytoluene , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E415 Xanthan gum , E420 Sorbitol , E421 Mannitol , E422 Glycerol , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids , E903 Carnauba wax , E950 Acesulfame k , E951 Aspartame , E965 Maltitol , E965ii Maltitol syrup

As written on the pack

Sweeteners (xylitol 32%, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol syrup, aspartame, acesulfame K), gum base, stabiliser (glycerol), maltodextrin, flavourings, starch, emulsifiers (sucrose esters of fatty acids, soya lecithin), thickeners (cellulose gum, xanthan gum), glazing agent (carnauba wax), coconut oil, antioxidant (E321), colour (brilliant blue FCF)

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.

  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • 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.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • E421 Mannitol 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.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
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  • E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
  • E473 Sucrose esters of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E903 Carnauba wax Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm and gives sweets and coated chocolates their shine.
  • E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
  • E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
  • E965 Maltitol Maltitol is a sugar alcohol made from starch, used as a sweetener in "no added sugar" sweets and chocolate.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.
  • Glazing agent Glazing agents, waxes and shellac for example, coat a surface to make it shiny or stop pieces sticking together.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down 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.

  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 76 sugar-free chewing gum

From least to most processed, this one ranks 75th. 99% of the sugar-free chewing gum 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 76 sugar-free chewing gum, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 80815310, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.