Is Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix ultra-processed?

(8 x 1.25 oz) 10 oz (283 g) Instant chocolate powders Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

10 ingredients
3 additives

Less processed instant chocolate powders

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

sugar (processing marker), corn syrup, cocoa processed with alkali, hydrogenated coconut oil (processing marker), nonfat milk, salt (processing marker) 2%, dipotassium phosphate, cocoa powder, mono- and DIGLYCERIDES (ultra-processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL, NONFAT MILK, SALT 2%, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, COCOA POWDER, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, NATURAL FLAVOR.

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.

E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
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 51 instant chocolate powders

From least to most processed, this one ranks 25th. 88% of the instant chocolate powders 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 51 instant chocolate powders, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0015700051443, last edited 2 October 2025), 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.