Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Unilever magnum ultra-processed?

3 x 219 g Ice cream bars Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed ice creams

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

reconstituted skimmed milk, sugar, cocoa butter¹, glucose syrup, almonds, coconut fat, skimmed milk powder, butter oil, fructose, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass¹, emulsifiers (e471, e442, e476), stabilisers (locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan), exhausted vanilla bean, whey, natural vanilla flavouring¹ (with milk), flavouring, colour (carotenes), free, rainforest alliance certified tm, ra, org, store at, 18°c, best before end (see side of pack)

Additives: E160a Carotene , E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E442 Ammonium phosphatides , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate

As written on the pack

reconstituted skimmed milk, sugar, cocoa butter¹, glucose syrup, almonds, coconut fat, skimmed milk powder, butter oil (milk), fructose, skimmed milk powder or concentrate, cocoa mass¹, emulsifiers (e471, e442, e476), stabilisers (locust bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan), exhausted vanilla bean pieces, whey solids (milk), natural vanilla flavouring¹ (with milk), flavouring, colour (carotenes), may contain soy and other nuts, gluten free, 'rainforest alliance certified tm, ra,org, store at - 18°c, best before end: see side of pack,

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E442 Ammonium phosphatides Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
Show 4 more
  • E476 Polyglycerol polyricinoleate Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is an emulsifier made from castor oil.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • 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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
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.

  • Ice creams Products in the category "Ice creams" are at least group 3.
  • 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.
  • 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 34 ice cream bars

From least to most processed, this one ranks 32nd. 100% of the ice cream 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 34 ice cream bars, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8711327575004, last edited 29 December 2023), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • 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.