Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Swiss Miss Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Mix ultra-processed?

8 Cocoa powder for beverages with sugar Sold in the United States

Pack of Swiss Miss Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Mix

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed cocoa powder for beverages with sugar

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, corn syrup, whey, cocoa, hydrogenated coconut oil, marshmallows (sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, gelatin, natural flavor), nonfat milk, less than 2% of (salt), dipotassium phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, natural flavor

Additives: E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E428 Gelatine , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

sugar, corn syrup, modified whey, cocoa (processed with alkali), hydrogenated coconut oil, marshmallows (sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, gelatin, natural flavor), nonfat milk, less than 2% of: salt, dipotassium phosphate, 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.

  • E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
  • 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.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.

  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
  • Cocoa An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
4 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 12 cocoa powder for beverages with sugar

From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 83% of the cocoa powder for beverages with sugar 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 12 cocoa powder for beverages with sugar, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070920476346, last edited 9 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.