Is Nestle Classic rich milk chocolate hot cocoa mix, classic rich milk chocolate ultra-processed?

787.8g Dehydrated beverages Sold in the United States and Guinea

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Hydrogenated oil
E412 Guar gum
E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
E955 Sucralose

18 ingredients
7 additives

Less processed dehydrated beverages

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

Sugar (processing marker), corn syrup solids, dairy product, hydrogenated vegetable oil (ultra-processing marker) (coconut vegetable oil, palm vegetable oil), kernel, soybean, cocoa processed with alkali, and less than 2% of salt, cellulose gum (ultra-processing marker), sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, sodium aluminosilicate, mono- and diglycerides (ultra-processing marker), guar gum (ultra-processing marker), artificial flavor (ultra-processing marker), sucralose (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E412 Guar gum , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E554 Sodium aluminium silicate , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

Sugar, corn syrup solids, dairy product solids, hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut and/or palm kernel and/or soybean), cocoa processed with alkali, and less than 2% of salt, cellulose gum, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, sodium aluminosilicate, mono - and diglycerides, guar gum, artificial flavor, sucralose.

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.

E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
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.

Hydrogenated oil Hydrogenation turns liquid oil into a solid fat that resists going rancid.

2 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.

Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 dehydrated beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 54th. 88% of the dehydrated beverages 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 60 dehydrated beverages, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0050000111879, last edited 12 June 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.