Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Strawberry Vanilla Chex ultra-processed?

Breakfast cereals Sold in the United States

Pack of Strawberry Vanilla Chex

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:

  • 36 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed breakfast 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

Rice, Rice, Sugar, Canola and, or, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Molasses, Color (vegetable juice), Natural Flavor, Rosemary Extract, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), Added to Preserve Freshness, Tricalcium Phosphate, Iron, Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), vitamins, vitamin B2, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B₁ (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), A B vitamins, folic acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3

Additives: E392 Extracts of rosemary

As written on the pack

Whole Grain Rice, Rice, Sugar, Canola and/or, Sunflower Oil, Salt, Molasses, Color (vegetable juice), Natural Flavor, Rosemary Extract., Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness., Tricalcium Phosphate, Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin B₁ (thiamin mononitrate), Vitamin A (palmitate), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.

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.

  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,868 breakfast cereals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1369th. 60% of the breakfast 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 1,868 breakfast cereals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0016000225831, last edited 12 May 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.