Is Monster Energy Lo-Carb ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 27 ingredients
- 6 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed sodas
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NOVA group
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No Sugar Added Lemonade
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Zero sugar wild cherry and cream
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Carbonated water, glucose (ultra-processing marker), citric acid, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), taurine, sodium citrate, color added (ultra-processing marker), panax ginseng extract, caffeine, sorbic acid (preservative (processing marker)), sucralose (ultra-processing marker), benzoic acid (preservative (processing marker)), l-carnitine l-tartrate, niacinamide (vitamin b3), acesulfame potassium (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), d-glucuronolactone, inositol, guarana extract, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), riboflavin, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), cyanocobalamin
Additives: E200 Sorbic acid , E210 Benzoic acid , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E950 Acesulfame k , E955 Sucralose
As written on the pack
Carbonated water, glucose, citric acid, natural flavors, taurine, sodium citrate, color added, panax ginseng extract, caffeine, sorbic acid (preservative), sucralose, benzoic acid (preservative), l-carnitine l-tartrate, niacinamide (vit. b3), acesulfame potassium, salt, d-glucuronolactone, inositol, guarana extract, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vit. b6), riboflavin (vit. b2), maltodextrin, cyanocobalamin (vit. b12).
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.
- E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Sodas Products in the category "Sodas" are at least group 3.
- Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Among 613 sodas
From least to most processed, this one ranks 534th. 94% of the sodas here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070847811268, last edited 25 February 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.