Barebells vs Ryse Loaded Protein: Two Sucralose Labels Compared

Barebells Chocolate Dough bars and Ryse Loaded Protein Cinnamon Toast mix both list sucralose. After that, their Open Food Facts listings go different ways. Barebells pairs sucralose with maltitol and adds polydextrose, glycerol and collagen. Ryse pairs it with acesulfame potassium and adds agave inulin, whey and a gum blend that includes carrageenan.

Neither listing names sugar. Below we compare the two ingredient lists line by line and set out what FDA and EFSA say about the sweeteners and fiber-type ingredients. One is a 55 g bar and the other a powder you mix, so we do not compare per-serving nutrition.

Key takeaways:

• While both formulas rely on sucralose, Barebells pairs it with the sugar alcohol maltitol, whereas Ryse uses acesulfame potassium (ace-K).
• Ryse lists whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate, whereas Barebells lists milk proteins, collagen hydrolysate, whole milk powder and soy protein.
• Barebells lists polydextrose, glycerol (as humectant) and tapioca starch; Ryse lists organic agave inulin and a cellulose, xanthan and carrageenan gum blend.
• Neither listing names sugar. Ryse is the only one of the two that declares artificial flavors; Barebells lists "flavourings" and cocoa.

Barebells vs Ryse: At-a-Glance Ingredient Comparison

Open Food Facts records the bar at 55 g and the Ryse tub at 720 g, so this table compares ingredients, not amounts. The Barebells Chocolate Dough Open Food Facts listing contains 16 ingredient entries, using European-style class names such as "humectant" and "emulsifier", which may not match the wording on the current US wrapper. The Ryse Loaded Protein Cinnamon Toast Open Food Facts listing has 13 entries.

Functional Component	Barebells Chocolate Dough Bar	Ryse Loaded Protein Powder Mix
High-Intensity Sweeteners	Sucralose	Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K)
Bulk Sweeteners / Polyols	Maltitol	None listed
Fiber / Bulking Agents	Polydextrose	Organic Agave Inulin, Gum Acacia
Primary Protein Sources	Milk proteins, Collagen hydrolysate, Soy protein	Whey protein isolate, Whey protein concentrate
Texturizers & Gums	Glycerol (humectant), Tapioca starch	Gum blend (Cellulose, Xanthan, Carrageenan)
Fat Sources	Cocoa butter, Cocoa mass, Sunflower oil, Whole milk powder	MCT oil powder (Medium chain triglycerides)
Emulsifiers	Emulsifier (lecithins)	Soy lecithin, Sunflower lecithin
Flavorings	Flavourings, Cocoa powder	Natural flavors, Artificial flavors, Ground cinnamon
Salt	Salt	Salt

Sweetener Stacks: Sucralose with Maltitol vs Acesulfame Potassium

Both products list sucralose, a high-intensity sweetener that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notes is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar. Under 21 CFR 172.831, sucralose is cleared as a general-purpose sweetener in foods under current good manufacturing practice. The FDA established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 5 mg/kg body weight per day for sucralose. In the EU, EFSA's 2026 sucralose re-evaluation found no safety concerns for genotoxicity and saw no need to revise its ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight per day. The two agencies' ADIs differ. For other labels that combine sweeteners, see Sweetener Stacks: 4 Scanned Drinks That Blend Sweeteners.

Barebells pairs sucralose with maltitol under a single "sweeteners" listing. Maltitol belongs to the sugar alcohol (polyol) family. According to the FDA, sugar alcohols vary from 25% to 100% as sweet as sugar, are slightly lower in calories, and do not promote tooth decay or sudden spikes in blood glucose. Under 21 CFR 101.9(c)(6)(iv), declaring sugar alcohol on the Nutrition Facts panel is voluntary unless the label makes a claim about sugar alcohol or total sugars, or about added sugars when sugar alcohols are present. We have not checked whether Barebells' panel declares sugar alcohol, and the listing does not give the amount of maltitol.

Ryse lists no sugar alcohol. It pairs sucralose with acesulfame potassium (ace-K), its last listed ingredient. Cleared under 21 CFR 172.800, ace-K may be used as a general-purpose sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods generally, except in meat and poultry. FDA says it is about 200 times sweeter than table sugar and often combined with other sweeteners, and lists an ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight per day. In its 2025 re-evaluation, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found no safety concerns for genotoxicity and set an ADI of 15 mg/kg body weight per day, replacing the earlier figure of 9 mg/kg.

Carb and Fiber Profiles: Polydextrose vs Organic Agave Inulin

Each listing includes a non-digestible carbohydrate that FDA's dietary fiber guidance covers.

Barebells includes polydextrose as its fifth listed ingredient. Under 21 CFR 172.841, polydextrose is prepared by the condensation of a melt consisting of roughly 89 to 90 percent D-glucose, 10 percent sorbitol, and either citric acid or phosphoric acid. The rule allows it as a bulking agent, formulation aid, humectant and texturizer; the listing does not say which job it does in the bar. Food in which a single serving would be expected to contain more than 15 grams of polydextrose must carry the statement "Sensitive individuals may experience a laxative effect from excessive consumption of this product." The amount of polydextrose in the bar is not known, so we cannot say whether that applies. EFSA's 2021 re-evaluation found absorption is limited and part of polydextrose is fermented in the large intestine into short-chain fatty acids. It saw no need for a numerical ADI and no safety concern at the reported uses.

Ryse incorporates organic agave inulin as its fourth ingredient, alongside gum acacia found inside its MCT oil powder. For more on this ingredient, see our inulin review. FDA's dietary fiber Q&A says FDA intends to propose adding inulin and inulin-type fructans, polydextrose and acacia (gum arabic) to the definition of dietary fiber. Until then, it intends to use enforcement discretion so they can be counted as dietary fiber, and to allow a caloric value of 1 kcal/g for polydextrose. So both products' fiber-type ingredients sit in the same FDA category. We have not verified the organic certification of Ryse's agave inulin.

Protein Sources: Milk Protein and Collagen vs Whey

Protein sources are one of the clearest differences between the two listings.

The Barebells Open Food Facts listing reveals a multi-source protein blend:

• Milk proteins (listed first)
• Collagen hydrolysate (listed second)
• Whole milk powder
• Soy protein

The Open Food Facts listing does not disclose the animal origin (such as bovine, porcine, or marine) of the collagen hydrolysate, nor the exact proportions among the milk, soy, and collagen sources.

Ryse Loaded Protein lists whey:

• Whey protein isolate (listed first)
• Whey protein concentrate (listed second)

Ryse lists no collagen and no soy protein, though it does list soy lecithin further down. For more on this protein, see our whey review. Because one product is a solid bar and the other a drink mix, their absolute protein amounts per serving cannot be directly compared from these ingredient texts alone.

Texture Architecture: Glycerol Humectant vs a Carrageenan Gum Blend

Barebells lists glycerol third under the EU-style class name "humectant (glycerol)," and also lists tapioca starch. None of the sources cited here classify glycerol as a sugar alcohol.

Ryse lists a gum blend, plus gum acacia elsewhere:

• Cellulose gum
• Xanthan gum
• Carrageenan
• Gum acacia (incorporated within the MCT oil powder)

Under 21 CFR 172.620, carrageenan is the refined hydrocolloid extracted with water from listed red seaweed species, used in the amount necessary as an emulsifier, stabilizer or thickener. The listing does not say what each gum does in the mix. Our carrageenan review covers the evidence.

Fats, Flavorings, and Emulsifiers: Cocoa Butter vs MCT Oil Powder

Barebells lists these fat sources:

• Cocoa butter
• Cocoa mass
• Sunflower oil
• Whole milk powder

For an emulsifier, Barebells lists "emulsifier (lecithins)" without naming the botanical source, although it separately lists soy protein.

Ryse lists MCT oil powder (medium chain triglycerides, gum acacia), and names soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin as its emulsifiers.

Flavor approaches also diverge:

• Barebells declares "flavourings," cocoa mass, and cocoa powder.
• Ryse lists natural flavors, artificial flavors, and ground cinnamon.

Ryse is the only product between the two that explicitly declares artificial flavors. Both list salt.

What These Listings Can't Tell You

Ingredient lists show what is in a product, not how much. The two Open Food Facts listings do not give protein, sugar alcohol, fiber or calorie amounts, or how much sucralose, maltitol, ace-K, polydextrose or inulin either product contains. They do not say where Barebells' collagen hydrolysate or lecithins come from, or what either product's flavors are. Barebells' listing uses EU-style wording that may not match the current US wrapper. For amounts, check the Nutrition Facts panel on the package.

Nothing here shows that either product is healthier or safer than the other. All four sweeteners named here are permitted in US food, and the ingredient differences are what this comparison sets out. This article is not medical advice.