Is it ultra-processed?
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Is PURE PROTEIN Chewy Chocolate Chip ultra-processed?

1.76oz Protein bars Sold in the United States and France

Pack of PURE PROTEIN Chewy Chocolate Chip

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:

  • 39 ingredients
  • 9 additives

Less processed protein bars

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

Protein blend (whey protein, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), chocolate coating (maltitol, fractionated palm kernel oil, whey protein, cocoa, calcium carbonate, natural flavors, soy lecithin, sucralose), hydrolyzed collagen, glycerin, soy crisps (soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, salt), milk chocolate drops (sugar, whole milk powder, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), maltitol syrup, water, maltodextrin, soy protein isolate, canola oil, natural flavors, cocoa powder, sucralose, xanthan gum, peanut flour, soy lecithin, almond butter

Additives: E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E415 Xanthan gum , E422 Glycerol , E955 Sucralose , E965 Maltitol , E965ii Maltitol syrup

As written on the pack

Protein blend (whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate), chocolate flavored coating (maltitol, fractionated palm kernel oil, whey protein concentrate, cocoa [processed with alkali], calcium carbonate, natural flavors, soy lecithin, sucralose), hydrolyzed collagen, glycerin, soy crisps (soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, salt), milk chocolate drops (sugar, whole milk powder, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk fat, soy lecithin, natural vanilla flavor), maltitol syrup, water, maltodextrin, soy protein isolate, canola oil, natural flavors, cocoa powder, sucralose, xanthan gum, peanut flour, soy lecithin, almond butter.

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.

  • E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
  • 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.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
  • E965 Maltitol Maltitol is a sugar alcohol made from starch, used as a sweetener in "no added sugar" sweets and chocolate.
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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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Cocoa An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
5 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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 426 protein bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 378th. 93% of the protein bars 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 426 protein bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0749826126449, last edited 26 September 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.