Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Milk Chocolate Chips ultra-processed?

100g Milk chocolates Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Milk Chocolate Chips

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:

  • 13 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed milk chocolates

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, cocoa butter, dried whole milk, cocoa mass, emulsifier (soya lecithins), natural vanilla flavouring, milk chocolate contains (cocoa solids 28%), milk 16%, dessen storag man airtis recyciin nat yet r allergy advice for allergens, cocoa fra alliance c used in the v nutrition as sold tym (per)

Additives: E322 Lecithins

As written on the pack

sugar, cocoa butter, dried whole milk. cocoa mass, emulsifier (soya lecithins), natural vanilla flavouring. milk chocolate contains: cocoa solids 28% minimum, milk solids 16% minimum. dessen storag man airtis recyciin nat yet r allergy advice for allergens, see ingredients in bold. cocoa fra alliance c used in the v suitable for vegetarians nutrition as sold tym: per 100g

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.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.

  • Chocolates Products in the category "Chocolates" are at least group 3.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
  • 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 279 milk chocolates

From least to most processed, this one ranks 110th. 93% of the milk chocolates 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 279 milk chocolates, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5053947312281, 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.