Joe Wicks’ Killer Protein Bar Exposes the Ultra-Processed Truth About Sports Nutrition
When Joe Wicks appeared on Channel 4 with Dr Chris van Tulleken, blending his affable energy with van Tulleken’s scientific rigour, they created something shocking: a protein bar so ultra-processed, it ticked every legal box while blowing a hole through any claim to real nutrition
Their bar looked clean. It was high-protein. Highly marketable. Even appealing. But under the wrapper, it was a Frankenstein’s monster of ultra-processed emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, and preservatives.
It was covered in "health halos". These are when a product is made to look healthy on the surface, using prominent healthy-sounding claims like 'low sugar' or 'high protein', while underneath it hides a cocktail of ultra-processed nasties. It’s a trick the food and sports nutrition industries have perfected, and leaves health-conscious consumers badly misinformed.
And that’s exactly the point.
In a world where products can be engineered to appear healthy and come covered in health halos, all the while actually damaging long-term health, Wicks’ exposé couldn’t be more relevant. Especially for anyone who trains, eats for performance, or just wants to fuel their body without being fooled.
At 33Fuel, this isn’t a passing concern. It’s been our founding mission since 2012. We’re the only mainstream sports nutrition company built on natural, non-UPF foundations.
THIS is the kinda protein bar you need to be reaching for - 100% natural, handmade in Italy, zero ultra-processing
Behind the stunt: a smart and necessary wake-up call
The Killer Protein Bar was no joke. It was a deliberate, informed act of disruption designed to demonstrate just how easily ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can masquerade as health products. If you missed it, here’s the gist: Wicks and van Tulleken set out to build the worst bar they could, using only legally permitted ingredients readily found in thousands of products lining our supermarket shelves and the sports nutrition market.
Their bar was colourful, protein-rich and looked like it ticked a lot of healthy boxes (health halo alert). But behind the scenes, it was packed with:
- Artificial sweeteners that disrupt gut health
- Cheap protein isolates linked to bloating and poor recovery
- Emulsifiers that drive chronic inflammation
- Flavourings and preservatives to trick appetite and mess with hormones
In short, it was the perfect poster child for modern ultra-processed food.
We love the Killer Protein Bar packaging. Health haloes on one side. The reality on the other
The food industry’s defence: a familiar playbook
When the documentary aired, the response from the food industry followed the familiar path. Rather than engage, their goal instead was to confuse. It’s a tactic borrowed from Big Tobacco and Big Oil: if you can muddy the waters enough to confuse people, the resulting scepticism means people won't change their behaviour and, in this case, the food industry can keep selling tons of ultra-profitable ultra-processed gunk.
There were three predictable lines of defence:
1. "Not all processed food is bad"
Correct, but also irrelevant. There’s a vast difference between simple processing of whole foods (eg blending peanuts) and ultra-processing, which involves synthetic additives, high-intensity manufacturing, and the breakdown of foods into chemical components by so many processes that the end product is something our bodies don’t recognise.
Just like the vast majority of protein powders, protein bars are also packed with unrecognisable ingredients which wreck your health
2. "The NOVA classification is too broad"
Far from being broad, NOVA is the global standard for identifying ultra-processed foods. It has underpinned more than 60 major studies involving millions of participants worldwide.
The results are consistent: higher UPF intake correlates with worse health outcomes at every metric. Arguing with NOVA isn’t science. It’s spin.
3. "Processing isn’t the problem. It's the calories, sugar, fat and salt"
The oldest sleight of hand in the playbook. Some UPFs might be high in those elements but the problem isn’t the macronutrient breakdown, it’s the ultra-processing itself that’s proven to be the culprit for the many negative health impacts of UPF consumption.
Ultra-processed foods override natural hunger cues and manipulate texture, taste and appearance to increase consumption by our human bodies that can’t cope with them. The result? More eating, less satiety, worse health.
These tactics aren’t new and they’re certainly not in the interests of your performance or wellbeing.
Sugar and salt - not the issue here
What the science actually says
The data is very clear. More than 60 studies, encompassing almost 10 million people across five continents, link higher UPF consumption to a broad spectrum of negative outcomes, including:
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Death
As just one example, a study involving over 100,000 participants tracked over ten years found that every 10% increase in UPF intake was associated with a 15% higher risk of death.
Other studies have shown up to 35% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 29% increase in the risk of developing depression.
What makes this especially alarming is that even UPFs marketed with health haloes like ‘low sugar’ or ‘high protein’ cause the same problems. The danger isn’t just in the macros - it’s in the ultra-processing itself.
Might look healthy. Really isn't
This is why the marketing around many protein bars and sports supplements is so misleading. Joe Wicks' Killer Bar was a perfect example - sold in slick, premium-looking packaging, covered in health halos and bold health claims, but underneath it was nothing more than an ultra-processed cocktail of damaging gunk.
The marketing may check the box for appearances, but it doesn’t erase the fact that these are industrially engineered products designed for profit, not health.
How 33Fuel is building a different future
We started 33Fuel around a kitchen table, frustrated by the junk dominating the sports nutrition market. Today, we’re proud to be the only protein bar brand with a fully non-UPF product in the mainstream.
Our Eroica Natural Protein Bar is our response to this industry-wide issue:
- No emulsifiers, no thickeners, no synthetic flavourings
- No protein isolates, just nutrient-dense whole foods
- Handmade in Italy, not lab-formulated in a food factory
- No wonder it's won awards from Men's Health, BBC Good Food, Women's Health and Runner's World
Eroica is designed to fuel performance and protect health. It delivers 20g of natural protein and 409 calories in a satisfying, gut-friendly, genuinely enjoyable bar for active people
This is the essence of our Fuelosophy®: nutrition that supports your performance today and your health tomorrow, while building a Fitter Future for people and the planet.
Don’t get fooled: how to spot a UPF in the wild
Ultra-processed foods don’t just hide in fast food and fizzy drinks. They’re everywhere. Especially in the so-called ‘health’ aisles, dressed up in their best health halos to look like the smart choice.
So how do you spot a UPF? Look closer:
- Is the label packed with health halos like “high protein” or “low sugar”, but the ingredients list is full of things you wouldn’t recognise, let alone cook with? Big red flag
- Struggling to pronounce the ingredients? If it sounds like it belongs in a lab, not a kitchen, it does
- Are there sweeteners, gums, emulsifiers or extracts without context? These are the building blocks of UPFs - engineered to trick your tongue
- Does the front scream “HEALTHY” while the back reads like chemistry class? Marketing is doing its job. But the product isn’t doing yours
Believe it or not, this is the full list of ingredients in the Killer Protein Bar...
Bottom line? If the label looks more like a science experiment than a recipe, it will treat your body like one.
Where this goes next – and why it matters
Joe Wicks and Chris van Tulleken have opened the door to a much-needed discussion. But this isn’t just a media cycle. It’s a movement.
We’re not here to fearmonger. We’re here to offer better choices. Real food. Real flavour. Real results.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be aware. And in a world of UPFs, choosing natural, nutrient-dense fuel is a radical act.
At 33Fuel, we’ve been doing this since 2012. No UPFs. No compromise. Just sports nutrition with benefits, not consequences.
Rethink the way you fuel. It starts with the next bar you eat.
The perfect compliment to Eroica, our award-winning Amore Energy Bar also packs nothing but 100% natural powerful superfood and zero UPFs
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