Bar

Name: Bar
Brand: Kit Kat

0Avoid

Breakdown

Ultra-processed · 3 contaminants flagged · 2 ingredients to avoid

Includes lab results from its product family: Kit Kat (US Hershey milk chocolate wafer)

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−99

arsenic−61

cadmium−22

lead−16

Ingredients

−85

palm oil−37

palm kernel oil−37

chocolate−3

lecithin (soy)−3

pgpr−3

vanillin−2

Processing

−10

NOVA 4: ultra-processed−10

Adjustments

What it takes to land on the final number

+94

Minimum score+94

Final score0

Contaminants · 1

1 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Arsenic230 ppbof 10 ppb

Over the limit — 23×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)

Contaminants · 3

2 at/over limit

Includes lab tests of other products in its family

Kit Kat (US Hershey milk chocolate wafer)

Worst result per contaminant across the family

In the family’s tests: measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Cadmium34 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 6.8×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Snack Size Wafer Candy Bars

Lead12 ppbof 5 ppb

Over the limit — 2.4×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L

Measured in: Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Snack Size Wafer Candy Bars

MercuryNDof 2 ppb

Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L

Measured in: Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Snack Size Wafer Candy Bars

Ingredients · 15

GoodCautionAvoid

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Healthier swaps

Same shelf, cleaner ingredients

Browse Chocolate

Common questions

Is Kit Kat Bar healthy?

Kit Kat Bar scores 0/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in, plus lab results from its product family, Kit Kat (US Hershey milk chocolate wafer). It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Kit Kat Bar?

Kit Kat Bar lists 15 ingredients, starting with Sugar, Wheat Flour, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate and Lactose (Milk). Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Kit Kat Bar contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Kit Kat Bar’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is Kit Kat Bar?

Kit Kat Bar is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Kit Kat Bar compare to other chocolate?

At 0/100 Kit Kat Bar scores worse than most chocolate we have scored. A higher-scoring option in chocolate is Hu Organic Hazelnut Butter + Hazelnut Crunch Milk Chocolate at 100/100.

Is Kit Kat Bar organic?

Kit Kat Bar is not certified organic in our data.

Has Kit Kat Bar been lab tested?

Yes. 1 substance in Kit Kat Bar has a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against. Other products in its family (Kit Kat (US Hershey milk chocolate wafer)), which share its base recipe, were lab tested too. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Their results are in the family's Contaminants section above.

Does Kit Kat Bar contain heavy metals?

Yes. A lab detected arsenic at 230 ppb against a 10 ppb limit in Kit Kat Bar. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above. Other products in its family, which share its base recipe, were tested too: a lab detected cadmium at 34 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Snack Size Wafer Candy Bars and lead at 12 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Snack Size Wafer Candy Bars. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests.

Full methodology: how we score products.