Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream ultra-processed?

500ml Ice cream tubs Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Specially Selected Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream

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:

  • 10 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed ice cream tubs

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

Whole Milk, double cream, Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Dextrose, madagascan bourbon vanilla extract 0.5%, mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan

Additives: E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Whole Milk, DOUBLE CREAM (Milk) (23%), Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Dextrose, MADAGASCAN BOURBON VANILLA EXTRACT (0.5%), Emulsifier: Mono-and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids; Stabilisers: Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan.

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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.

  • Ice creams Products in the category "Ice creams" are at least group 3.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • 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 147 ice cream tubs

From least to most processed, this one ranks 66th. 90% of the ice cream tubs 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 147 ice cream tubs, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600265148, last edited 19 August 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.