LotteCakes & Pastries#6 of 6 in categoryRating 1.3/5

Lotte Choco Pie (Real Orange)

Red flags

  • Red flag: Contains Tartrazine
  • Red flag: Contains Sunset Yellow FCF
  • Red flag: High added sugar (23g per 100g)
  • Red flag: High saturated fat (12g)

Green flags

Nothing stands out in its favour.

Ingredients, decoded

45 listed
  • Refined Wheat Flour (Maida)
  • Sugar (Choco Covering 21%)
  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat - Palm (Choco Covering)
  • Cocoa Solids (Choco Covering)
  • Milk Solids (Choco Covering)
  • Emulsifier - INS 322 (Choco Covering)
  • Emulsifier - INS 476 (Choco Covering)
  • Artificial Flavour - Vanilla (Choco Covering)
  • Sugar
  • Liquid Glucose
  • Sugar (Orange Filling 9%)
  • Liquid Glucose (Orange Filling)
  • Humectant - INS 420 (Orange Filling)
  • Humectant - INS 422 (Orange Filling)
  • Orange Juice Concentrate (10% of Orange Filling)
  • Emulsifier - INS 440 (Orange Filling)
  • Emulsifier - INS 415 (Orange Filling)
  • Acidity Regulator - INS 330 (Orange Filling)
  • Acidity Regulator - INS 296 (Orange Filling)
  • Preservative - INS 202 (Orange Filling)
  • Nature Identical Flavour - Orange (Orange Filling)
  • Synthetic Food Colour - INS 110 (Orange Filling)
  • Interesterified Vegetable Fat - Palm
  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat - Palm
  • Humectant (INS 420)
  • Humectant (INS 422)
  • Milk Chocomass
  • Raising Agent (INS 500(ii))
  • Raising Agent (INS 503(ii))
  • Preservative (INS 202)
  • Preservative (INS 281)
  • Iodised Salt
  • Dextrose
  • Stabilizer (INS 407)
  • Stabilizer (INS 406)
  • Stabilizer (INS 440)
  • Stabilizer (INS 401)
  • Stabilizer (INS 461)
  • Stabilizer (INS 415)
  • Acidity Regulator (INS 341(i))
  • Nature Identical Flavour (Orange)
  • Milk Solids
  • Synthetic Food Colour (INS 102)
  • Synthetic Food Colour (INS 110)
  • Synthetic Food Colour (INS 127)
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

EE4

Nutrition per 100 g
ENutritionEIngredients4Risk
VerdictVERY POOR
Energy428 kcal
Protein4 g
Carbohydrates67 g
Total sugars36 g
Added sugars23 g
Total fat16 g
Saturated fat12 g
Trans fat0 g
Cholesterol0 mg
Sodium228 mg
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

Three synthetic dyes, one of them carcinogen-flagged.

Lotte Choco Pie Real Orange adds an orange filling to the classic Choco Pie. The filling contains 10% orange juice concentrate, and the pie is coloured with three synthetic dyes.

CleanPlate scores it [R][L]EE4, Very Poor. The E for nutrition reflects very little protein, fibre or micronutrients. The E for ingredients and label carries a red flag for erythrosine (INS 127) and a misleading-label flag for "Real Orange" with under 1% orange. The 4 for risk comes from sugar and saturated fat.

Claims vs reality

What the pack says, checked against the ingredient list and nutrition panel.

  • Product name

    “Real Orange”

    Misleading

    Orange juice concentrate is about 0.9% of the pie (10% of a 9% filling). The orange taste and colour come from flavouring and three synthetic dyes.

How EE4 breaks down

Each grade is scored on its own. Here are the label numbers behind each one, per 100 g.

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
E

Very low nutrient density

Protein
4 g
Fibre
Not declared
Vitamins and minerals
None declared
Energy
428 kcal

Scored on eight nutrients (protein, fibre, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, D and zinc), per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
E

Severe ingredient concerns

Base
Refined Wheat Flour
Main fat
Hydrogenated Vegetable...
Sweeteners
3 types
Additives
17
Flagged
5 ingredients
Artificial flavour or colour
Yes

Scored on six things: base processing, fat quality, sweeteners, additives, colours and flavours.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
4

High risk

Added sugar
23 g
Sodium
228 mg
Saturated fat
12 g
Trans fat
0 g

Scored on added sugar, sodium and saturated fat, with a penalty for trans fat.

[R] Contains an ingredient on our red-flag list (such as a partially hydrogenated oil or a flagged synthetic dye), which cuts the ingredient grade.

[L] The name or pack claims promise more than the ingredient list delivers. See Claims vs reality.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

The orange filling is 9% of the pie, and orange juice concentrate is 10% of the filling, under 1% of the whole pie. The fats are hydrogenated and interesterified palm.

Per 100 g: 428 kcal, 23 g added sugar, 16 g fat (12 g saturated), 4 g protein and 228 mg sodium. The list has more than 40 entries, including preservatives 202 and 281 and six stabilisers.

Ingredients to watch

  • Erythrosine (INS 127)Concern

    Carcinogen-flagged synthetic dye. This triggers the red flag.

  • Tartrazine (102) and Sunset Yellow (110)Concern

    Southampton Six dyes linked to hyperactivity in some children.

  • Saturated fatConcern

    12 g per 100 g from palm-based fats.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "Real Orange means real fruit"

Orange juice concentrate is under 1% of the pie. The orange colour comes from synthetic dyes.

Myth: "All Choco Pies are the same"

This one adds three synthetic dyes that the original does not have.

How often, and how

  • ChildrenAvoid, because of the dyes
  • AdultsRarely
  • AnyoneChoose the original if choosing a Choco Pie

Smarter ways to eat it

Real orange

A fresh orange or a few segments with dark chocolate gives real citrus.

Read the colour codes

INS 102, 110 and 127 on a pack are worth avoiding, especially for children.

Common questions

Is Lotte Choco Pie (Real Orange) healthy?

Lotte Choco Pie (Real Orange) scores EE4 (Very Poor) on CleanPlate, which makes it one of the weakest products we've rated and worth swapping out. The main concerns are: Contains Tartrazine; Contains Sunset Yellow FCF; High added sugar (23g per 100g); High saturated fat (12g).

What does the EE4 score mean?

The first letter (E) grades nutritional value: very low nutrient density. The second letter (E) grades ingredient and label integrity: severe ingredient concerns. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.

Which ingredients in Lotte Choco Pie (Real Orange) should I watch?

Refined Wheat Flour (Maida) (Maida), Preservative - INS 202 (Orange Filling) (Potassium Sorbate), Synthetic Food Colour - INS 110 (Orange Filling) (Sunset Yellow FCF), Preservative (INS 202) (Potassium Sorbate), Stabilizer (INS 407) (Carrageenan), Synthetic Food Colour (INS 102) (Tartrazine), Synthetic Food Colour (INS 110) (Sunset Yellow FCF).

Last reviewed September 26, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

Better Cakes & Pastries

All 6 →