Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nature Valley Protein Salted Caramel Nut ultra-processed?

160g Peanut bars Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Nature Valley Protein Salted Caramel Nut

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

Less processed peanut 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 38%, chicory root, isolated soy protein, almonds 9%, glucose syrup, palm fat, sugar, whey, fructose, maltodextrin, sunflower oil, tapioca starch, glycerol, salt, caramel 0.84% (sugar, skimmed milk powder), skimmed milk powder, sunflower, soy lecithin, natural flavourings

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

roasted peanuts (38%), chicory root extract, isolated soy protein, almonds (9%), glucose syrup, palm fat, sugar, whey solids ( milk ), fructose, maltodextrin, sunflower oil, tapioca starch, humectant: glycerol, salt, caramel powder (0,84%) (sugar, skimmed milk powder), skimmed milk powder, emulsifiers: sunflower and soy lecithin, natural flavourings,

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.
  • 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.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
  • 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 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 42 peanut bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 31st. 90% of the peanut 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 42 peanut bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076610362, last edited 21 September 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.