Is Ribena Blackurrant ultra-processed?

Blackcurrant soft drinks Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Sweetener
E950 Acesulfame k
E951 Aspartame

17 ingredients
7 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed fruit sodas

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, Blackcurrant Juice from Concentrate 18%, Acids (Malic Acid, Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Gluconate), Carrot, Hibiscus, Vitamin C, Sweeteners (ultra-processing marker) (Aspartame (ultra-processing marker), Acesulfame K (ultra-processing marker)), Natural Flavourings (ultra-processing marker), Preservatives (processing marker) (Potassium Sorbate (processing marker), Sodium Bisulphite)

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E222 Sodium bisulphite , E296 Malic acid , E330 Citric acid , E576 Sodium gluconate , E950 Acesulfame k , E951 Aspartame

As written on the pack

Water, Blackcurrant Juice from Concentrate (18%), Acids (Malic Acid, Citric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Gluconate), Extracts of Carrot and Hibiscus, Vitamin C, Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K), Natural Flavourings, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulphite). Contains a source of Phenylalanine.

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.

E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.

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.
Sodas Products in the category "Sodas" are at least group 3.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 9 blackcurrant soft drinks

From least to most processed, this one ranks 5th. 100% of the blackcurrant soft drinks 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 9 blackcurrant soft drinks, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5054267003385, last edited 4 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.
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.