Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie Beverage ultra-processed?

16 fl oz (1 pt) 473 ml Protein shakes Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie Beverage

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:

  • 12 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed protein shakes

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

oat base (water, hydrolyzed oats), pea protein, sugar, almond paste, cocoa powder, sunflower oil, natural flavors, acacia gum, gellan gum, sea salt

Additives: E414 Acacia gum , E418 Gellan gum

As written on the pack

OAT BASE (WATER, HYDROLYZED OATS), PEA PROTEIN, SUGAR, ALMOND PASTE, COCOA POWDER, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, ACACIA GUM, GELLAN GUM, SEA SALT. CONTAINS ALMOND.

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.

  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E418 Gellan gum Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food.
  • 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 158 protein shakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 23rd. 97% of the protein shakes 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 158 protein shakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00755146, last edited 14 September 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.