Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nestlé MILO Cereal ultra-processed?

620g Chocolate cereals Sold in Australia and New Zealand

Pack of Nestlé MILO Cereal

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:

  • 46 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed chocolate cereals

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

WW Cereals, Wheat 55%, Wheat Flour and, or Wheat Starch, Sugar, Formulated Supplementary Food Base (milo 9%, Malt Extract (Rice, Barley)), Milk Powder, Sugar, Cocoa, Choc Malt Blend, Minerals (Calcium, Iron), Maltodextrin, vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin B3, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin D, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Cocoa, Barley Malt Expect Vegetable Oil, Wheat Protein, Natural Flavours, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Sait, Vitamins, Minerals (Minerals, Calcium), Iron, Zinc, vitamins, vitamin E, Niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, Folic Acid

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

WW Cereals (Whole Grain Wheat (55%), Wheat Flour and/or Wheat Starch], Sugar, Formulated Supplementary Food Base: MILO (9%) {Malt Extract (Rice and/or Barley), Milk Powder, Sugar, Cocoa, Choc Malt Blend, Minerals (Calcium, Iron), Maltodextrin, Vitamins (C, B3, B6, B2, B12, D), Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Cocoa, Barley Malt Expect Vegetable Oil, Wheat Protein, Natural Flavours, Emulsifier (Soy Lecithin), Sait, Vitamins and Minerals: Minerals (Calcium, Iron, Zinc), Vitamins (E, Niacin, B6, B2, Folic Acid). Contains Wheat, Gluten, Milk, Soy. May Contain Oats, Rye. :

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.
  • 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.

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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
3 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.

  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • 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 105 chocolate cereals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 80th. 90% of the chocolate cereals 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 105 chocolate cereals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9300605153578, last edited 28 June 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.