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Digestives Milk Chocolate by McVitie's
McVitie's

Digestives Milk Chocolate

Barcode 5000168208749
Scanned  29  times by Nomi users
Ultra-Processed Food (UPF)

Yes — Digestives Milk Chocolate is ultra-processed.

The product is classified as ultra-processed because it contains several industrial ingredients and additives, including glucose-fructose syrup (an industrially processed sugar syrup), emulsifiers (soya lecithin, E476), palm oil and vegetable fats, and natural flavouring. According to NOVA, the presence of such additives and industrial formulations makes the product ultra-processed.

Ingredients

2 ultra-processed markers
  • OK
    flour (39%) (wheat flour, calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin)
  • OK
    milk chocolate 7g (30%) [sugar
  • OK
    cocoa butter
    A fat extracted from cocoa beans, used in chocolate, cosmetics, and baking as a fat component.
  • OK
    cocoa mass
    Ground or melted cocoa beans; pure cocoa solids used for chocolate making.
  • OK
    dried skimmed milk
    Dried skimmed milk is powdered milk with fat removed, used as a dairy ingredient to provide protein and calcium.
  • OK
    dried whey (milk)
    Powdered whey, the liquid whey component dried for use as a dairy protein and flavoring in foods.
  • OK
    butter oil (milk)
    Fat component derived from milk, used as a dairy fat or spread; often included in chocolate or bakery products.
  • OK
    vegetable fats (sal and/or shea)
  • OK
    palm
    A basic vegetable fat derived from the fruit of oil palms commonly used as a cooking oil; non-animal, widely used in foods.
  • UPF
    emulsifier (soy lecithin, e476)
    A food additive used to stabilize emulsions; E476 refers to polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), often used to improve texture and shelf-life.
  • OK
    natural flavouring vegetable oil (palm)
  • OK
    wholemeal wheat flour (9%)
  • OK
    sugar
    Granulated sugar derived from sugarcane or sugar beets; a basic, single-ingredient sweetener.
  • UPF
    glucose-fructose syrup
    A commercially produced sweet syrup made by hydrolyzing and blending glucose and fructose sugars; widely used as a sweetener in foods and beverages.
  • OK
    raising agents
    A mix of leavening agents including sodium bicarbonate, malic acid and ammonium bicarbonate used to help dough rise.
  • OK
    salt
    Common mineral compound (sodium chloride) used as a seasoning and preservative across cuisines.

Healthier alternatives

Reviewed by Nomi

Similar products that aren't ultra-processed — swap and keep the flavour.

Shortbread Fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
Shortbread Fingers
Walker’s
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All butter shortbread fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
All butter shortbread fingers
Tesco
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Shortbread All Butter Fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
Shortbread All Butter Fingers
Sainsbury's
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Shortbread fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
Shortbread fingers
Belmont Biscuits
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Scottish Shortbread Fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
Scottish Shortbread Fingers
Asda
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Finest Scottish Shortbread Fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
Finest Scottish Shortbread Fingers
Tesco
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All Butter Shortbread Fingers
Not Ultra-Processed
All Butter Shortbread Fingers
Morrisons
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Shortbread Rounds
Not Ultra-Processed
Shortbread Rounds
Deluxe
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Shortbread biscuits
Not Ultra-Processed
Shortbread biscuits
Island Bakery
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Highland All Butter Shortbread Rounds
Not Ultra-Processed
Highland All Butter Shortbread Rounds
Waitrose & Partners Dutch organic
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Swap it for something less processed

See all Biscuits & Cookies →

Other biscuits & cookies Nomi has checked — these ones aren't ultra-processed.

Common questions about Digestives Milk Chocolate

Is Digestives Milk Chocolate ultra-processed?

Yes — Digestives Milk Chocolate by McVitie's is ultra-processed, so it counts as a UPF (ultra-processed food). The product is classified as ultra-processed because it contains several industrial ingredients and additives, including glucose-fructose syrup (an industrially processed sugar syrup), emulsifiers (soya lecithin, E476), palm oil and vegetable fats, and natural flavouring. According to NOVA, the presence of such additives and industrial formulations makes the product ultra-processed.

Which ingredients in Digestives Milk Chocolate are ultra-processed?

Nomi flags 2 ingredients in Digestives Milk Chocolate as ultra-processed markers: emulsifier (soy lecithin, e476), glucose-fructose syrup. See the full ingredient breakdown above for what each one is.

What are healthier alternatives to Digestives Milk Chocolate?

Nomi has reviewed similar products that are not ultra-processed, including Shortbread Fingers by Walker’s, All butter shortbread fingers by Tesco, Shortbread All Butter Fingers by Sainsbury's. See the healthier alternatives above for details.

What does "ultra-processed" (UPF) mean?

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made with ingredients and additives you wouldn't find in a home kitchen — such as emulsifiers, artificial flavourings, colourings and modified starches. The classification is based on the NOVA system used by researchers and dietitians worldwide.

How can I check whether other foods are ultra-processed?

Scan any barcode — or photograph the ingredients label — with the free Nomi app for iOS and Android. You'll get an instant ultra-processed verdict with every ingredient explained in plain English.

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Product information comes from public databases and Nomi's own analysis, and may contain errors. Always check the packaging. Ultra-processed classification is based on the NOVA food processing system.

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