Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nature Valley protein chocolate and berries bars ultra-processed?

160g Cereal bars Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 31 ingredients
  • 4 additives

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

Roasted peanuts 34%, isolated soy protein, chicory root, sugar, vegetable oils and fats (palm, sunflower, rapeseed in varying proportions), glucose syrup, chocolate pieces 4.8%, sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (lecithins), cranberry 3.8%, milk proteins, fat-reduced cocoa powder, fructose, tapioca starch, humectant (glycerol), maltodextrin, emulsifiers, lecithins, salt, natural flavourings (milk), natural strawberry flavouring, stabiliser (calcium carbonate)

Additives: E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E322 Lecithins , E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

Roasted peanuts (34%), isolated soy protein, chicory root extract, sugar, vegetable oils and fats (palm, sunflower, rapeseed in varying proportions), glucose syrup, chocolate pieces (4.8%) (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier (lecithins (soy)), cranberry pieces (3.8%), milk proteins, fat-reduced cocoa powder, fructose, tapioca starch, humectant (glycerol), maltodextrin, emulsifiers (lecithins (soy), salt, natural flavourings (milk), natural strawberry flavouring, stabiliser (calcium carbonate).

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.

  • E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 488 cereal bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 439th. 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 488 cereal bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076611307, 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.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.