Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Monster Energy ultra-processed?

500 ml Energy drinks Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Monster Energy

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:

  • 28 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed energy drinks

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

carbonated water, sucrose, glucose syrup, acid (citric acid), natural flavourings, taurine 0.4%, acidity regulator (sodium citrate), panax ginseng root extract 0.08%, l-carnitine l-tartrate 0.04%, caffeine 0.03%, preservatives (sorbic acid, benzoic acid), colour (anthocyanins), vitamins, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, sodium chloride, d-glucuronolactone, guarana seed extract 0.002%, inositol, sweetener (sucralose)

Additives: E163 Anthocyanins , E200 Sorbic acid , E210 Benzoic acid , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

CARBONATED WATER, SUCROSE, GLUCOSE SYRUP, ACID (CITRIC ACID), NATURAL FLAVOURINGS, TAURINE (0.4%), ACIDITY REGULATOR (SODIUM CITRATE), PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT (0.08%), L-CARNITINE L-TARTRATE (0.04%), CAFFEINE (0.03%), PRESERVATIVES (SORBIC ACID, BENZOIC ACID), COLOUR (ANTHOCYANINS), VITAMINS (B2, B3, B6, B12), SODIUM CHLORIDE, D-GLUCURONOLACTONE, GUARANA SEED EXTRACT (0.002%), INOSITOL, SWEETENER (SUCRALOSE).

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.

  • 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.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.

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.
2 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.

  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 278 energy drinks

From least to most processed, this one ranks 209th. 99% of the energy drinks 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 278 energy drinks, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060166690007, last edited 13 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.