Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars ultra-processed?

6.8 oz Chocolate cereal bars Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Organic Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed cereal 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

rolled oats, tapioca syrup, chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin), cane sugar, brown rice flour, agave syrup, sunflower oil, honey, coconut, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, salt, soy lécithin, coconut

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

ORGANIC WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, ORGANIC TAPIOCA SYRUP, ORGANIC CHOCOLATE CHIPS (ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, ORGANIC COCOA BUTTER, ORGANIC SOY LECITHIN), ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC BROWN RICE FLOUR, ORGANIC AGAVE SYRUP, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER OIL, ORGANIC HONEY, ORGANIC UNSWEETENED DRIED COCONUT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, ORGANIC SOY LÉCITHIN. CONTAINS SOY, COCONUT. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK, WHEAT, PEANUT, ALMOND, CASHEW.

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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
6 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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • 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 62 chocolate cereal bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 100% of the chocolate cereal 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 62 chocolate cereal bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00567176, last edited 28 August 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.