Is Quest Peanut Butter Cups ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 13 ingredients
- 4 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed chocolate candies
-
dark chocolate coconut minis
Unreal
8 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Pink himalayan salt caramel bar
Vosges
12 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
2
-
Dark milk chocolate with blood orange
Marks & Spencer
6 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Dark Chocolate
Waitrose & Partners
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), erythritol (ultra-processing marker), chocolate, cocoa butter (processing marker), peanuts, palm kernel oil, soluble corn fiber (ultra-processing marker), sodium caseinate, lecithin (ultra-processing marker), sea salt (processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), peanut oil (processing marker), sucralose (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E955 Sucralose , E968 Erythritol
As written on the pack
whey protein isolate, erythritol, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, peanuts, palm kernel oil, soluble corn fiber, sodium caseinate, lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, peanut oil, 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.
- E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
- E968 Erythritol Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
- 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.
- Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
4 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.
- Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 773 chocolate candies
From least to most processed, this one ranks 542nd. 91% of the chocolate candies here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0888849011308, last edited 27 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.