Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Vitamin c tangerine flavored drink mix packets ultra-processed?

Dehydrated beverages Sold in the United States

Pack of Vitamin c tangerine flavored drink mix packets

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 7 additives

Less processed dehydrated beverages

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

fructose, sugar, citric acid, tangerine (and flavor), contains <2% of (beta-carotene (color)), glycine, l-aspartic acid, malic acid, maltodextrin, natural flavors, silicon dioxide, tartaric acid, tocopherols (to preserve freshness)

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E296 Malic acid , E330 Citric acid , E334 L(+)-tartaric acid , E640 Glycine and its sodium salt , E640i Glycine

As written on the pack

fructose, sugar, citric acid, tangerine juice solids (color and flavor). contains &lt;2% of: beta-carotene (color), glycine, l-aspartic acid, malic acid, maltodextrin, natural flavors, silicon dioxide, tartaric acid, tocopherols (to preserve freshness).

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.
  • E640 Glycine and its sodium salt A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
1 ingredient 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 dehydrated beverages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 53rd. 88% of the dehydrated beverages 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 dehydrated beverages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0076314302024, last edited 11 September 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.