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Nova UPF rating of Oatly whole
Hello. The website Open Food Facts rates oatly whole as an UPF (Ultra Processed Food) on the Nova scale because of the inclusion of E170 - Calcium carbonates. I also notice it has Calcium Phosphates. Could you kidnly confirm what these are, and why they're part of Oatly Whole? Is it simply to replace the calcium content that would be part of Cow's milk? Thanks!
Accepted Solution
Alice
8 Messages
2 months ago
Hey oat pal,
Thanks for your question!
Some modern food scoring systems, such as the Nova scale, classify plant-based drinks as “ultra processed” for simply having vitamins and minerals added in as ingredients. Yet, a fortified plant-based drink is a better option than an unfortified one, and is therefore recommended in dietary guidelines around the world. We get that this is pretty confusing, but that’s why we believe that sticking to dietary guidance based on nutritional quality, rather than how a product is made, is the way to go.
We fortify our oat drinks with calcium by using either calcium carbonate or a blend of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate. This ensures that our drinks provide just as much calcium as traditional cow's milk. Plus, we've discovered that this combination not only delivers excellent calcium content but also creates a delicious, smooth-textured product - an added bonus!
If it’s important to you to have a little less going on, you can always opt for our Organic options, but these are sadly not always fortified due to EU/UK regulations.
I hope this gives you some clarity, but if you’d like us to explain anything further then drop us a line!
Love,
Alice at Oatly
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