Is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 16 ingredients
- 7 additives
Less processed protein powders
-
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
-
Unflavored plant based protein
Truvani
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
1
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate (ultra-processing marker), Whey Protein (ultra-processing marker), Hydrolyzed Whey Protein), Natural and Artificial Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Sunflower, Soy Lecithin (ultra-processing marker), Gum Blend (Guar Gum (ultra-processing marker), Gum Acacia (ultra-processing marker), Xanthan Gum (ultra-processing marker)), Citric Acid, Salt (processing marker), Beet Juice (color (ultra-processing marker)), Sucralose (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E414 Acacia gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E955 Sucralose
As written on the pack
Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sunflower and/or Soy Lecithin, Gum Blend (Guar Gum, Gum Acacia, Xanthan Gum), Citric Acid, Salt, Beet Juice Powder (color), 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.
- 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.
- E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
- 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.
- 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.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Show 1 more
- 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.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Among 150 protein powders
From least to most processed, this one ranks 137th. 95% of the protein powders here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0748927069518, last edited 10 August 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.