Is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 14 ingredients
- 4 additives
Less processed protein powders
-
Soy Protein Mince
H&B
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Almond Protein Powder
Bob's Red Mill
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Hemp Protein Powder
Manitoba Harvest
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
- Simple Plant Protein Powder Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Orgain 6 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
whey protein blend 91% (whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), whey protein (ultra-processing marker), whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker))), fat-reduced cocoa powder, flavourings (ultra-processing marker), sodium chloride, thickener (ultra-processing marker) (xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker)), sweetener (ultra-processing marker) (sucralose (ultra-processing marker)), for allergens see ingredients capitalised and bold
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E415 Xanthan gum , E955 Sucralose
As written on the pack
whey protein blend (91%) [milk] (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, hydrolysed whey protein isolate, emulsifier: soy lecithin), fat-reduced cocoa powder, flavourings, sodium chloride, thickener (xanthan gum), sweetener (sucralose). for allergens see ingredients capitalised and bold. may contain: gluten, egg, nuts and peanuts.
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.
- E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
- E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
- 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.
- Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
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- Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.
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.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
- Whey protein isolate An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
Among 150 protein powders
From least to most processed, this one ranks 142nd. 95% of the protein powders here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060469988504, last edited 8 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.
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.