Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nature Valley Oaty & Crispy Cocoa ultra-processed?

5 x 23 g Chocolate cereal bars Sold in the United Kingdom and Spain

Pack of Nature Valley Oaty & Crispy Cocoa

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:

  • 35 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

oats 39%, glucose syrup, wheat flour, sugar, rice flour, chicory root, milk chocolate drops 4.5%, sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, emulsifier (lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring, humectant (glycerol), fat-reduced cocoa powder 2.9%, fructose, vegetable oils (rapeseed vegetable oils, sunflower vegetable oils), emulsifier (lecithins), maltodextrin, natural flavouring (milk), dextrose, whole milk powder, honey, salt, antioxidant (tocopherol-rich extract), Nature Valley™ OATY and CRISPY Cocca has at least 30% less sugar than breakfast and cereal bars with a similar flavour, September 2023, Best before date see bottom of the carton

Additives: E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

Whole grain oats (39%), glucose syrup, wheat flour, sugar, rice flour, chicory root extract, milk chocolate drops (4.5%) (sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, emulsifier (lecithin (soy)), natural vanilla flavouring), humectant (glycerol), fat-reduced cocoa powder (2.9%), fructose, vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower), emulsifier (lecithins), maltodextrin, natural flavouring (milk), dextrose, whole milk powder, honey, salt, antioxidant (tocopherol-rich extract). For allergens, see ingredients in bold. May contain peanuts and tree nuts. 'Nature Valley™ OATY & CRISPY Cocca has at least 30% less sugar than breakfast and cereal bars with a similar flavour, September 2023. Best before date see bottom of the carton.

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.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • 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.
  • Humectant 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.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • 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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
6 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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • 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.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 62 chocolate cereal bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 51st. 100% of the chocolate 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 62 chocolate cereal bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076611338, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.