Is Nature Valley Protein Energy Bars Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 29 ingredients
- 3 additives
Less processed protein bars
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Roasted Peanuts, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicory Root, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (sugar (processing marker), chocolate liquor, cocoa butter (processing marker), soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), Vegetable Oils (processing marker) (palm Vegetable Oils, palm Vegetable Oils), kernel, canola, peanut, Sugar (processing marker), Corn Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Whey Protein (ultra-processing marker), Fructose (ultra-processing marker), Peanut Butter (peanuts, salt (processing marker)), Cocoa, Vegetable Glycerin, Rice Starch (processing marker), Soy Lecithin (ultra-processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Corn Starch (processing marker), Natural Flavor (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol
As written on the pack
Roasted Peanuts, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicory Root Extract, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (sugar, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, natural flavor), Vegetable Oils (palm, palm kernel, canola, peanut), Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey Protein Concentrate, Fructose, Peanut Butter (peanuts, salt), Cocoa, Vegetable Glycerin, Rice Starch, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Corn Starch, Natural Flavor.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
- 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.
Among 426 protein bars
From least to most processed, this one ranks 210th. 93% of the protein bars here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0016000458918, last edited 22 July 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.
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.