Is Ovaltine Classic malt drink mix, classic ultra-processed?

400g Dehydrated beverages Sold in the United States and Canada

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Glucose
Glucose syrup
Milk

15 ingredients
No 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

barley and malt extract, milk ingredients (ultra-processing marker), cocoa powder, glucose syrup (ultra-processing marker), modified palm oil (medium-chain triglycerides), salt (processing marker), magnesium carbonate, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), iron orthophosphate, niacinamide (niacin), vitamin a acetate, maltodextr

As written on the pack

barley and malt extract, modified milk ingredients, cocoa powder, glucose syrup, modified palm oil (medium-chain triglycerides), salt, magnesium carbonate, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), iron orthophosphate, niacinamide (niacin), vitamin a acetate, maltodextr

What makes it ultra-processed

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.
Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
Milk An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 dehydrated beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 20th. 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 7612100054321, last edited 1 April 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.