Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joes Rainbows End Trail Mix Bar ultra-processed?

Nut bars Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joes Rainbows End Trail Mix Bar

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:

  • 45 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed nut 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

roasted peanuts, roasted almonds, agave syrup dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin emulsifier, natural vanilla flavor), mini milk chocolate candies (milk chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, whole milk powder, soy lecithin emulsifier), natural vanilla flavor, sugar, tapioca syrup, acacia gum, color added (vegetable juice), turmeric oleoresin, spirulina extract, carnauba wax, raisins (raisins sunflower oil), tapioca syrup, pea protein crisp (pea protein, brown rice flour (rice flour, rice bran)), pea protein isolate, canola oil, sea salt, sea salt, tricalcium phosphate (anti-caking agent), peanut oil, coconut, hazelnut, macadamia nut pecan, pine nut, pistachio, walnut

Additives: E414 Acacia gum , E903 Carnauba wax

As written on the pack

ROASTED PEANUTS, ROASTED ALMONDS, AGAVE SYRUP DARK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN EMULSIFIER, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR), MINI MILK CHOCOLATE CANDIES (MILK CHOCOLATE [SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE, WHOLE MILK POWDER, SOY LECITHIN EMULSIFIER), NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR, SUGAR, TAPIOCA SYRUP, ACACIA GUM, COLOR ADDED VEGETABLE JUICE, TURMERIC OLEORESIN, SPIRULINA EXTRACT], CARNAUBA WAX), RAISINS (RAISINS SUNFLOWER OIL), TAPIOCA SYRUP, PEA PROTEIN CRISP (PEA PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, BROWN RICE FLOUR [RICE FLOUR, RICE BRAN]), PEA PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, SEA SALT (SEA SALT, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE (ANTI-CAKING AGENT]), PEANUT OIL, SOY LECITHIN CONTAINS MILK, SOY, PEANUT, ALMOND MAY CONTAIN EGG, SESAME, WHEAT, BRAZIL NUT, CASHEW, COCONUT, HAZELNUT, MACADAMIA NUT PECAN, PINE NUT, PISTACHIO, WALNUT.

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.
  • E903 Carnauba wax Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm and gives sweets and coated chocolates their shine.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.

  • Chocolate An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
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.

  • Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
  • 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.
  • 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 130 nut bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 92nd. 84% of the nut 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 130 nut bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00759182, last edited 13 April 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.