Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Trader Joe's Slightly Coated Dark Chocolate Almonds ultra-processed?

10 oz (283g) Chocolate covered nuts Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Slightly Coated Dark Chocolate Almonds

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed chocolate covered nuts

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

almonds, dark chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, soy lecithin (emulsifier), vanilla extract (water, ethyl alcohol, vanilla bean)), cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk, sea salt, maple sugar

Additives: E1510 Ethanol , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

ALMONDS, DARK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN [EMULSIFIER], VANILLA EXTRACT [WATER, ETHYL ALCOHOL, VANILLA BEAN EXTRACTIVES]). COCOA POWDER, NONFAT DRY MILK, SEA SALT, MAPLE SUGAR.

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.

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.
4 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.
  • 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 43 chocolate covered nuts

From least to most processed, this one ranks 16th. 86% of the chocolate covered nuts 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 43 chocolate covered nuts, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00750592, last edited 16 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.
  • 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.