Is Monster Energy Ultra Fantasy Ruby Red ultra-processed?

16 oz Sodas Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin
E955 Sucralose
E968 Erythritol

17 ingredients
7 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed sodas

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, citric acid, erythritol (ultra-processing marker), taurine, sodium citrate, panax ginseng flavor, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), l-carnitine l-tartrate, potassium sorbate (processing marker), caffeine, sucralose (ultra-processing marker), d-calcium pantothenate, ester gum (ultra-processing marker), inositol, sodium benzoate, niacinamide, cyanocobalamin

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E211 Sodium benzoate , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin , E955 Sucralose , E968 Erythritol

As written on the pack

CARBONATED WATER, CITRIC ACID, ERYTHRITOL, TAURINE, SODIUM CITRATE, PANAX GINSENG FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAVORS, L-CARNITINE L-TARTRATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, CAFFEINE, SUCRALOSE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, ESTER GUM, INOSITOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, NIACINAMIDE, CYANOCOBALAMIN.

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.

E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin 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.
E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
E968 Erythritol 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.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
Sodas Products in the category "Sodas" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 612 sodas

From least to most processed, this one ranks 403rd. 94% of the sodas 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 612 sodas, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070847896180, last edited 1 June 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 C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.