Is Royal chai Masala Chai ultra-processed?

Flavored teas 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:

Lactose

85 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed flavored teas

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

Skimmed Milk Powder (processing marker), Creamer (corn syrup, coconut oil (processing marker), monodiglycerides, caseinate, dipotassium phosphate), Lactose (ultra-processing marker), Black Tea 4%, Natural Spice Blend (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Clove), Lait demi écrémé, crème, crème de maïs, huile de coco, mono, diglycérides, caséine de lait, phosphate de potassium, lactose (ultra-processing marker) (Lait), thé noire en poudre 4%, mélanges d'epices naturelle (canelle, cardamome, gingembre, noix de muscade, poivre noire, girofle), Magere melkpoeder, Creamer (maïs syrup vaste stoffen, kokosolie, monodiglyceriden, casinenate, dipotasium fosfaat), lactose (ultra-processing marker) (Melk), zwarte thee Poeder 4%, Natuurlijke Spice Blend (Kaneel, kardemom, gember, nootmuskaat, zwarte peper, kruidnagel), Skummetmælkspulver, flødekande (majssiruppulver, kokosolie, monodiglycerider, kaseinat, dikaliumphosphat), laktose (mælk), sort tepulver 4%, naturlig krydderiblanding (kanel, kardemomme, ingefær, muskatnød, sort peber, nelliker), Magermilchpulver, Milchkännchen (Maissiruppulver, Kokosöl, Monodiglyceride, Casinenat, Dikaliumphospat), Laktose (Milch), Schwarzteepulver 4%, Natürliche Gewürzmischung (Zimt, Kardamom, Ingwer, Muskatnuss, Schwarzer Pfeffer, Nelke)

Additives: E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate

As written on the pack

Skimmed Milk Powder, Creamer (corn syrup powder, coconut oil, mono - diglycerides, caseinate, dipotassium phosphate), Lactose (Milk). Black Tea Powder (4%) Natural Spice Blend (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Nutmeg. Black Pepper, Clove). Lait demi écrémé, crème (crème de maïs, huile de coco, mono. diglycérides, caséine de lait, phosphate de potassium, lactose (Lait) thé noire en poudre (4%) mélanges d'epices naturelle (canelle. cardamome, gingembre, noix de muscade, poivre noire, girofle). Magere melkpoeder, Creamer (maïs syrup vaste stoffen, kokosolie, mono - diglyceriden, casinenate, dipotasium fosfaat), lactose (Melk), zwarte thee Poeder (4%) Natuurlijke Spice Blend (Kaneel, kardemom, gember, nootmuskaat, zwarte peper, kruidnagel). Skummetmælkspulver, flødekande (majssiruppulver, kokosolie, mono-diglycerider, kaseinat, dikaliumphosphat), laktose (mælk), sort tepulver (4%) naturlig krydderiblanding (kanel, kardemomme, ingefær, muskatnød, sort peber, nelliker). Magermilchpulver, Milchkännchen (Maissiruppulver, Kokosöl, Monodiglyceride, Casinenat, Dikaliumphospat). Laktose (Milch), Schwarzteepulver (4%) Natürliche Gewürzmischung (Zimt, Kardamom, Ingwer. Muskatnuss, Schwarzer Pfeffer, Nelke).

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.

2 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.

Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
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 16 flavored teas

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 63% of the flavored teas 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 16 flavored teas, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060131760025, last edited 16 July 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 E (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.