Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Special K Chocolatey Delight ultra-processed?

Chocolate cereals Sold in the United States

Pack of Special K Chocolatey Delight

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 35 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed chocolate cereals

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

wheat, rice, sugar, chocolatey chunks (sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, milk), wheat bran, contains 2% and less of salt, brown sugar syrup, natural and artificial flavor, malt flavor, BHT for freshness, reduced iron, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E acetate, niacinamide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamins, vitamin B2, riboflavin, beta-carotene, vitamins, vitamin B1, thiamin hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamins, vitamin D3, vitamin B12

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

Whole grain wheat, rice, sugar, chocolatey chunks (sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa processed with alkali, cocoa, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, milk), wheat bran, contains 2% or less of salt, brown sugar syrup, natural and artificial flavor, malt flavor, BHT for freshness, reduced iron, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E acetate, niacinamide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), beta-carotene, vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), folic acid, vitamin D3, vitamin B12

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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 105 chocolate cereals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 39th. 90% of the chocolate cereals 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 105 chocolate cereals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041192102455, last edited 2 June 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.