Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Unilever mini miek ultra-processed?

230 g Ice creams and sorbets Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Unilever mini miek

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:

  • 53 ingredients
  • 5 additives

Less processed ice creams and sorbets

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

Mini Milk Vanilla (whole MILK 36%), skimmed MILK 30%, glucose-fructose syrup, water, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey, glucose syrup, butter fat, guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, flavouring, Mini Milk Strawberry (whole MILK 36%), skimmed MILK 26%, strawberry puree 10%, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey, glucose syrup, butter fat, flavouring, guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan, skimmed MILK powder, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, beetroot juice concentrate, Mini Milk Chocolate (whole MILK 36%), skimmed MILK 30%, glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey, glucose syrup, fat reduced cocoa powder 2%, butter fat, guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, flavouring

Additives: E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E417 Tara gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Mini Milk Vanilla 35ml: Fresh whole MILK (36%), reconstituted skimmed MILK (30%), glucose-fructose syrup, water, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey solids (MILK), glucose syrup, butter fat (MILK)(1%), stabilisers (guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan), emulsifier (mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids), flavouring. May contain peanuts, pistachio nuts and soy. Gluten free. Mini Milk Strawberry 35ml: Fresh whole MILK (36%), reconstituted skimmed MILK (26%), strawberry puree (10%), glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey solids (MILK), glucose syrup, butter fat (MILK) (1%), flavouring, stabilisers (guar gum, tara gum, locust bean gum, carrageenan), skimmed MILK powder, emulsifier (mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids), beetroot juice concentrate. May contain peanuts, pistachio nuts, and soy. Gluten Free. Mini Milk Chocolate 35ml: Fresh whole MILK (36%), reconstituted skimmed MILK (30%), glucose-fructose syrup, sugar, calcium carbonate, fructose, whey solids (MILK), glucose syrup, fat reduced cocoa powder (2%), butter fat (MILK) (1%), stabilisers (guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, carrageenan), emulsifier (mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids), flavouring. May contain peanuts, pistachio nuts and soy. Gluten Free.

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.

  • 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.
  • E417 Tara gum Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.
2 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.

  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • 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 382 ice creams and sorbets

From least to most processed, this one ranks 278th. 92% of the ice creams and sorbets 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 382 ice creams and sorbets, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8711327574236, last edited 8 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.