Is Quest Protein Cookie Chocolate Chip ultra-processed?

2.08oz Drop cookies Sold in the United States and Belgium

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Milk proteins
E322 Lecithins
E415 Xanthan gum
E422 Glycerol
E955 Sucralose
and 1 more

30 ingredients
9 additives

Less processed drop cookies

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 (milk protein isolate (ultra-processing marker), whey protein isolate (ultra-processing marker)), butter (processing marker) (cream, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), polydextrose (prebiotic fiber), erythritol (ultra-processing marker), palm oil, chocolate, water, calcium caseinate, cocoa butter (processing marker), glycerin (ultra-processing marker), contains less than 2% of the following, lecithin (ultra-processing marker) (sunflower, canola, and SOY LECITHIN), sea salt (processing marker), baking soda, sodium caseinate, xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker), sucralose (ultra-processing marker), stevia sweetener, processed on equipment that also processes eggs, wheat, peanuts, and TREE NUTS

Additives: E1200 Polydextrose , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E415 Xanthan gum , E422 Glycerol , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E955 Sucralose , E968 Erythritol

As written on the pack

PROTEIN BLEND (MILK PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE), BUTTER (CREAM, NATURAL FLAVOR), POLYDEXTROSE (PREBIOTIC FIBER), ERYTHRITOL, PALM OIL, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, WATER, CALCIUM CASEINATE, COCOA BUTTER, GLYCERIN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF THE FOLLOWING: NATURAL FLAVORS, LECITHIN (SUNFLOWER, CANOLA, AND/OR SOY LECITHIN), SEA SALT, BAKING SODA, SODIUM CASEINATE, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE, STEVIA SWEETENER. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY. PROCESSED ON EQUIPMENT THAT ALSO PROCESSES EGGS, WHEAT, PEANUTS, AND TREE NUTS.

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.
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.
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.

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.

Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
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.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 64 drop cookies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 44th. 94% of the drop cookies 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 64 drop cookies, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0888849005994, last edited 20 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.