Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips ultra-processed?

10 oz Dark chocolates Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's 72% Cacao Dark 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:

  • 9 ingredients
  • 3 additives

Less processed dark 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

dark chocolate (chocolate, cane sugar, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla extract (water, ethyl alcohol, vanilla bean))

Additives: E1510 Ethanol , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

DARK CHOCOLATE (UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, CANE SUGAR, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN [EMULSIFIER], VANILLA EXTRACT [WATER, ETHYL ALCOHOL, VANILLA BEAN EXTRACTIVES]).

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.
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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 400 dark chocolates

From least to most processed, this one ranks 300th. 69% of the dark 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 400 dark chocolates, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00678391, last edited 2 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.