Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Vital Proteins Collagen and protein shake ultra-processed?

11 oz Energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners Sold in the United States

Pack of Vital Proteins Collagen and protein shake

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:

  • 14 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed energy drinks

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

Filtered water, milk (protein, collagen peptides from bovine), cocoa processed with alkali, high oleic sunflower oil, potassium citrate, cellulose gel, gum, salt, gellan gum, natural flavor, monk fruit extract, stevia sweetener

Additives: E332 Potassium citrates , E332ii Tripotassium citrate , E418 Gellan gum

As written on the pack

Filtered water, milk (protein concentrate, collagen peptides from bovine), cocoa processed with alkali, high oleic sunflower oil, potassium citrate, cellulose gel, gum, salt, gellan gum, natural flavor, monk fruit extract, stevia sweetener.

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.

  • E418 Gellan 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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners

From least to most processed, this one ranks 16th. 100% of the energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners 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 60 energy drink without sugar and with artificial sweeteners, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0810089956774, last edited 16 January 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.