Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nature Valley Choc Chip ultra-processed?

Cereal bars Sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Pack of Nature Valley Choc Chip

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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed cereal bars

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

rolled oats 54.8%, sugar, vegetable oils (sunflower vegetable oils, rapeseed vegetable oils), couverture chocolate chips 8% (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sunflower seeds, emulsifier (lecithins), salt, natural vanilla flavouring), molasses, salt, natural flavouring, emulsifier (lecithins), raising agent (sodium bicarbonate)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

whole grain rolled oats 54,8%, sugar, vegetable oils (sunflower, rapeseed in varying proportions), couverture chocolate chips 8% (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, sunflower seeds powder, emulsifier (lecithins), salt, natural vanilla flavouring), molasses, salt, natural flavouring), emulsifier (lecithins), raising agent (sodium bicarbonate),

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.
  • 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 487 cereal bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 219th. 91% of the cereal bars 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 487 cereal bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076602190, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.