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Alpino

Super Bar Chocolate

Name: Super Bar Chocolate
Brand: Alpino

Use in moderation Not on SafeShelf

NOVA 4zero added sugarhigh saturated fatultra-processedmillet-basedcontains maltitolpregnancy-safediabetic-safegluten-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

40 g

Pack

400 g

Ingredients

Barcode

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01 — Ingredient mix

What’s in the box, ranked from most concerning.

Each ingredient gets a tier from our researched dossier. The list sorts worst-first; the donut summarises the distribution. Tap any ingredient for its full dossier.

Caution · 6 ingredients shown

Caution6 of 12 ingredients

Peanut ProteinCaution

Sugar-Free Milk Chocolate (Sweetener (INS 965(i)), Edible Vegetable Fat, Milk Solids, Cocoa Solids, Emulsifier (INS 322(i)))Caution

Coconut OilCaution

Colour (INS 150d)Caution

Sweetener (INS 965(i))Caution

Edible Common SaltCaution

Cleared 6▾

Millet (Bajara)Cleared

Cocoa PowderCleared

Skimmed Milk PowderCleared

Nature Identical Chocolate FlavourCleared

Leavening Agent (INS 500(ii))Cleared

Emulsifier (INS 322(i))Cleared

02 — Claims audit

Every label claim, fact-checked.

We treat each claim as a question — does what’s inside back it up? Tap a claim for the reasoning.

2/3

claims fully supported

“10g Protein”unverified

The pack description and %RDA table (18.5% protein RDA per serve, implying ~10 g using ICMR sedentary-male RDA of ~54 g) support 10 g per 40 g serve; however, the nutrition panel as recorded states 10 g protein per 100 g, which would yield only ~4 g per 40 g serving — a direct contradiction. This is likely an OCR or transcription error in data capture, but the conflict cannot be resolved without the original label.

“Zero Added Sugar”true

The nutrition data explicitly records added sugar as 0 g, and sucrose or other added sugars do not appear in the ingredient list; maltitol (a sugar alcohol) is used as the sweetener instead. The 4.3 g sugar per 100 g is naturally occurring from milk solids and cocoa. Claim is supported.

“Millet Wafer”true

Pearl millet (Bajara) is listed as an ingredient and the product is described as a wafer bar on pack. Both the ingredient list and pack description corroborate this characterization.

03 — The fuller picture

Read the whole thing if a one-line verdict isn’t enough.

What’s in favour, and what’s working against it

In favour

Zero added sugar; sweetened with maltitol instead
Contains pearl millet, a nutritious whole-grain cereal
Low sodium at 24 mg per 100 g
Zero trans fat
Vegetarian certified product

Working against

Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): synthetic flavour, caramel colour, sweetener, emulsifier
High saturated fat: 6.2 g per 100 g (28.3% RDA per serve)
Maltitol may cause laxative effects at higher intakes
Sulphite ammonia caramel (E150d): EFSA flagged children may exceed ADI at high consumption
Protein content claim conflicts with nutrition panel — likely transcription error
Major allergen risk: peanuts and milk present; soy lecithin may contain soy proteins

Who should approach with care

Nut Allergy — Peanut protein contains at least 17 IgE-binding Ara h allergens; even trace exposures (≥2 mg protein) can trigger life-threatening anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals.

Lactose Intolerance — Skimmed milk powder retains substantially all the lactose of skim milk and milk solids also contribute lactose, likely causing significant GI symptoms in lactose-intolerant individuals.

Infants — Product contains cocoa solids and cocoa powder (theobromine, caffeine), maltitol (osmotic diarrhoea risk in immature GI tracts), peanut protein (anaphylaxis risk without prior testing), and milk proteins — none appropriate for infants.

Ibs — Maltitol is poorly absorbed and fermented in the colon, and cocoa/chocolate flavourings stimulate intestinal motility — both can exacerbate IBS symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and diarrhoea.

Ibd — Maltitol's osmotic and fermentative colonic effects, and high-fat content from coconut oil and vegetable fat, may aggravate intestinal inflammation or symptoms in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.

Diabetes — Maltitol (GI ~36) is not glycemically neutral and in larger quantities may raise blood glucose; coconut oil also raises LDL, compounding cardiovascular risk in people with type 2 diabetes.

Heart Disease — High saturated fat (6.2 g/100 g) from coconut oil and vegetable fats raises LDL cholesterol, and cocoa's caffeine and theobromine may affect heart rate and blood pressure in those with pre-existing cardiac conditions.

Hypertension — Edible common salt and sodium bicarbonate both contribute dietary sodium; coconut oil's saturated fat also promotes dyslipidaemia, a compounding risk factor for hypertensive individuals.

Kidney Disease — Skimmed milk powder and milk solids contribute protein, phosphorus, and potassium; sodium from salt and sodium bicarbonate worsens sodium retention in impaired kidneys.

Children — E150d sulphite ammonia caramel was flagged by EFSA as potentially causing ADI exceedance in high-consuming children; maltitol has a mandatory laxative-effect warning in EU for foods with >10% polyols; cadmium from cocoa and caffeine/theobromine sensitivity are additional concerns.

Pregnancy — Cocoa powder and cocoa solids contribute caffeine and theobromine that cross the placenta; E150d's 4-MEI byproduct is under ongoing FDA reproductive safety review; nature-identical flavouring components lack full reproductive toxicity characterization.

Lactation — Caffeine and theobromine from cocoa powder transfer into breast milk and may cause irritability or sleep disturbances in nursing infants; volatile flavouring compounds from nature-identical chocolate flavour may also transfer.

Migraine — Cocoa solids, cocoa powder, and nature-identical chocolate flavour all contain recognized migraine dietary triggers including phenylethylamine, caffeine, theobromine, and phenylethylamine analogs.

Sulfite Sensitivity — E150d (sulphite ammonia caramel) is manufactured using sulphite compounds and may contain residual sulphur dioxide, posing a risk to individuals with sulphite sensitivity or sulphite-triggered asthma.

Phenylketonuria — Milk solids and skimmed milk powder contain phenylalanine-rich casein and whey proteins that must be carefully accounted for within a strictly controlled low-phenylalanine diet.

The full analysis

Gym-goers and health-conscious snackers looking for a protein bar without added sugar are the core buyers of this product. While it uses pearl millet and peanut protein as functional ingredients and genuinely contains no added sugar (maltitol replaces it), the bar is firmly ultra-processed — it contains synthetic flavouring, sulphite ammonia caramel colour (E150d), an artificial sweetener (maltitol, E965i), and an emulsifier (soy lecithin, E322i). The most important thing a consumer should know is that the protein content claim (10 g per 40 g serve) appears inconsistent with the as-recorded nutrition panel (which shows 10 g per 100 g, implying only 4 g per 40 g serving), and this discrepancy — likely an OCR or transcription error — should be clarified before purchase by anyone buying this bar specifically for its protein content.

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Source

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Analysis

Independently researched