Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Propel ultra-processed?

Waters Sold in the United States

Pack of Propel

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
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed waters

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

Water, citric acid, sodium hexametaphosphate (to protect flavor), natural flavor, salt, potassium sorbate (preserves freshness), potassium citrate, sodium citrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sucralose, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin E acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E330 Citric acid , E385 Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E950 Acesulfame k , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

Water, citric acid, sodium hexametaphosphate (to protect flavor), natural flavor, salt, potassium sorbate (preserves freshness), potassium citrate, sodium citrate, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sucralose, acesulfame potassium, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), niacinamide (vitamin B3), vitamin E acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)

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.

  • 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.
  • E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 409 waters

From least to most processed, this one ranks 377th. 63% of the waters 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 409 waters, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0052000045956, last edited 3 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.
  • 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.