Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nature Valley S'mores ultra-processed?

Cereal bars Sold in the United States

Pack of Nature Valley S'mores

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 5 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

Oats, Chicory Root, Milk Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, milk ingredients, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla extract), Brown Rice Flour, Sugar, Corn Syrup, White Chocolate Chunks (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Vegetable Glycerin, Canola Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Graham Flour, Invert Sugar, Salt, Molasses, Baking Soda, Calcium Carbonate, Honey, Baking Powder

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Whole Grain Oats, Chicory Root Extract, Milk Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, milk ingredients, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla extract), Brown Rice Flour, Sugar, Corn Syrup, White Chocolate Chunks (sugar, cocoa butter, milk ingredients, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), Vegetable Glycerin, Canola Oil, Enriched Wheat Flour, Maltodextrin, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Graham Flour, Invert Sugar, Salt, Molasses, Baking Soda, Calcium Carbonate, Honey, Baking Powder.

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.

  • Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down 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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 316th. 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 0016000222434, last edited 17 October 2025), 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.