Is Trader Joe's Energy Bar Peanut Butter ultra-processed?

Energy bars Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Invert sugar

20 ingredients
1 additive

Less processed energy bars

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

oats, brown rice syrup, tapioca syrup, soy protein crisps (soy protein isolate, rice flour, sea salt (processing marker)), invert sugar syrup (ultra-processing marker), peanuts, peanut butter, peanut flour, oat hull fiber, glycerin, natural flavors (ultra-processing marker), water, soy flour, sea salt (processing marker), sunflower oil (processing marker), rosemary extract mixed tocopherols (to preserve)

Additives: E306 Tocopherol-rich extract

As written on the pack

OATS*, BROWN RICE SYRUP*, TAPIOCA SYRUP*, SOY PROTEIN CRISPS (SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, RICE FLOUR, SEA SALT), INVERT SUGAR SYRUP*, PEANUTS, PEANUT BUTTER (PEANUTS)*, PEANUT FLOUR, OAT HULL FIBER*, GLYCERIN*, NATURAL FLAVORS*, WATER, LOW FAT SOY FLOUR*, SEA SALT, SUNFLOWER OIL*, ROSEMARY EXTRACT* MIXED TOCOPHEROLS (TO PRESERVE), *ORGANIC

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.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.

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.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 126 energy bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 42nd. 87% of the energy bars 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 126 energy bars, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00776165, last edited 26 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.