Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Chocolate & Salted Caramel Rice Cakes ultra-processed?

Puffed rice cakes with milk chocolate Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Chocolate & Salted Caramel Rice Cakes

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:

  • 20 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed puffed rice cakes with milk chocolate

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

milk chocolate (49), isugar, cocoa butter (soya lecithins), natural vanilla flavourine) brown rice, caramel 15%, sugar, glucose syrup, butter, salt, cream, water, r, sodium bicarbonatel ntair sing agent ju rome every minimum, milk 22%, pro poad allergy advice for allergens, see ineredients in bold pi that v nutrition as sold per 100g one rice cake (21e), typical values 411kj

Additives: E322 Lecithins

As written on the pack

milk chocolate (49) isugar. cocoa butter (soya lecithins). natural vanilla flavourine) brown rice. salted caramel pieces (15%) [sugar. glucose syrup. butter (milk). salt. cream (milk), water. r (sodium bicarbonatel ntair sing agent ju rome every minimum. milk solids 22% minimum. pro poad allergy advice for allergens, see ineredients in bold pi that v suitable for vegetarians nutrition as sold per 100g one rice cake (21e) typical values 411kj/

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.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup 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.

  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 16 puffed rice cakes with milk chocolate

From least to most processed, this one ranks 10th. 81% of the puffed rice cakes with milk chocolate 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 16 puffed rice cakes with milk chocolate, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753920708, last edited 6 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.