Is ricola caramel ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 28 ingredients
- 3 additives
Less processed candies
-
Organic honey
Giant Eagle
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
2
-
Dark Chocolate Coconut Bar
Unreal
7 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Semisweet Chocolate Baking Chips
Guittard
5 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Original Ginger Chews
Prince of Peace
4 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Caramel sugar syrup (processing marker), cocoa butter (processing marker), sunflower lecithin (ultra-processing marker), extracts of bee balm, Ricola herb mixture, elder, horehound, hyssop, lemon balm, linden flowers, mallow, peppermint, sage, thyme, wild thym, rooibos, glucose syrup (ultra-processing marker), glucose-fructose syrup (ultra-processing marker), hone humectant (glycerine (ultra-processing marker)), natural flavoring (ultra-processing marker) (caramel, echina purpurea fresh plant pressed juice powder, honey (processing marker), menth peppermint, vanilla), salt (processing marker), sugar (processing marker)
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E422 Glycerol
As written on the pack
Caramel sugar syrup; cocoa butter; emulsifier (sunflower lecithin), extracts of bee balm, Ricola herb mixture (elder, horehound, hyssop, lemon balm, linden flowers, mallow, peppermint, sage, thyme, wild thym and rooibos; glucose syrup; glucose-fructose syrup; hone humectant (glycerine); natural flavoring (caramel, echina purpurea fresh plant pressed juice powder, honey, menth peppermint, vanilla); salt; sugar
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.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- 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.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
6 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.
- Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
- Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- 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.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 486 candies
From least to most processed, this one ranks 187th. 96% of the candies here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0036602833081, last edited 29 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.