Why is Crunchy dark chocolate classified as ultra‑processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The cereal receives a NOVA 4 label because it combines several industrially processed ingredients such as refined sugars, glucose syrup, palm‑derived vegetable fat, caramel, and emulsifiers, and it includes three food‑grade additives: E322 (sunflower lecithin), E322i (lecithin‑related) and E471 (mono‑ and diglycerides of fatty acids).

How does the high sugar and saturated fat content in this cereal affect people with diabetes or high cholesterol?

The 19 g of sugars per 100 g can cause rapid blood‑glucose spikes, making the product unsuitable for tight diabetic control, while the 7.5 g of saturated fat may raise LDL‑cholesterol levels, which is a concern for individuals managing high cholesterol.

Is this product suitable for vegan, gluten‑free, or low‑sugar diets?

It is technically vegan because all listed ingredients are plant‑based, but it contains gluten from wheat flakes and wheat flour, soy residues and a high amount of added sugars, so it does not meet gluten‑free or low‑sugar diet requirements.

Carrefour • 750 g

Crunchy dark chocolate

Cereals And Potatoes

Product Insights

Crunchy dark chocolate is a plant‑based breakfast cereal made primarily of oat and wheat flakes with dark chocolate pieces. With a Nutri‑Score of D and a NOVA 4 classification, it delivers 453 kcal per 100 g, 16 g of fat (7.5 g saturated), 19 g of sugars and 0.35 g of salt, while providing 6.6 g of fiber and 8.5 g of protein. The cereal offers a decent amount of fiber and plant‑based protein but is high in added sugars and saturated fat, contains gluten, soy and palm oil, and therefore may not suit low‑sugar, low‑fat or gluten‑free diets.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

moderate

Saturated Fat

high

Sugars

high

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal453 kcal

Fat16 g

Saturated Fat7.5 g

Carbohydrates65 g

Sugars19 g

Comparative Analysis

Compared with the average breakfast cereal (14.1 g sugars, 9 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 1.8 g salt, 389 kcal, 8.3 g fiber, 10.2 g protein per 100 g), this product provides markedly more sugar, fat and saturated fat while delivering less fiber and protein and slightly lower salt.

Ingredients

oat flakes 50%, dark chocolate pieces 13% (cocoa mass, sugar, emulsifier: sunflower lecithin, natural vanilla flavouring), sugar, wheat flakes 8,5%, vegetable fat (palm), wheat flour 6,7%, maize 2,3%, glucose syrup, coconut powder, rice semolina 1,3%, salt, flavouring, caramel (sugar, water), barley malt extract, wheat malt flour, emulsifier: mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids, caramelised sugar powder, may contain traces of soya, milk products and nuts,

84%

35%

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