Is it ultra-processed?
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Is NOS High Performance Energy Drink ultra-processed?

16 FL OZ. (473 mL) Sodas Sold in the United States

Pack of NOS High Performance Energy Drink

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:

  • 23 ingredients
  • 11 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed sodas

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

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium hexametaphosphate (preservative), natural flavors, taurine, caffeine, gum arabic, potassium sorbate (preservative), Ester gum, sucralose, yellow #5, inositol, calcium disodium edta (preservative), pyridoxide hydrochloride (vitamin b6), yellow #6, guarana extract, cyanocobalamin

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E202 Potassium sorbate , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E385 Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate , E414 Acacia gum , E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium hexametaphosphate (preservative), natural flavors, taurine, caffeine, gum arabic, potassium sorbate (preservative), Ester gum, sucralose, yellow #5, inositol, calcium disodium edta (preservative), pyridoxide hydrochloride (vit b6), yellow #6, guarana extract, cyanocobalamin (vit b12)

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.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E445 Glycerol esters of wood rosin Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E452 Polyphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
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  • 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.
  • High fructose corn syrup High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn starch: enzymes break it down to glucose and convert part of that into fructose, giving a syrup about as sweet as table sugar.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Sodas Products in the category "Sodas" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 612 sodas

From least to most processed, this one ranks 611th. 94% of the sodas 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 612 sodas, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0815154020008, last edited 6 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.