Cavin'sDairy Beverages#14 of 23 in categoryRating 3/5

Cavin's Chocolate Thick & Creamy Milkshake

Red flags

  • Red flag: High added sugar (12.2g per 100ml)
  • Red flag: Contains Carrageenan

Green flags

  • Green flag: Source of protein (3g)
  • Green flag: Low sodium

Ingredients, decoded

7 listed
ConcernWorth watchingIn label order. Tap a highlighted one to learn more.

High sugarNutrition per 100 ml
CNutritionBIngredients4Risk
Energy105.9 kcal
Protein3 g
Carbohydrates17.4 g
Total sugars16.4 g
Added sugars12.2 g
Total fat2.7 g
Saturated fat1.9 g
Cholesterol13.5 mg
Sodium98 mg
Calcium94.6 mg
Highlighted values exceed FSSAI and UK FSA front of pack thresholds.

Our take

CleanPlate review

Thick chocolate shake: 86% milk, 12 g added sugar

Cavin's Chocolate Thick & Creamy Milkshake is a 180 ml UHT dairy-based drink made from toned milk (86%), sugar and cocoa solids (1.4%), with nature-identical flavouring, three stabilisers, a sequestrant and iodised salt. The panel is printed per 100 ml, with an 85 ml serving, and the pack is marked veg.

CleanPlate scores it CB4. The C for nutrition is middling: 3 g protein and some calcium per 100 ml. The B for ingredients reflects whole or lightly processed ingredients (led by toned milk, sugar and cocoa solids), with additives that cost points: carrageenan, flavouring, guar gum and xanthan gum. The 4 for risk comes mainly from free sugar (12.2 g per 100 ml) and sodium (98 mg per 100 ml).

Claims vs reality

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

  • On the pack

    “Chocolate Milkshake”

    Partly true

    The back calls it chocolate flavoured, and cocoa solids are 1.4% of the drink; milk and sugar lead the list.

How CB4 breaks down

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

How we score →
01 Nutritional valueA to E
C

Adequate nutrient density

Protein
3 g
Fibre
Not declared
Vitamins and minerals
Calcium
Energy
106 kcal

Scored on protein, fibre and twelve vitamins and minerals, against the Codex and FSSAI "source" and "high" levels, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.

02 Ingredient & label integrityA to E
B

Good, few concerning additives

Base
Toned Milk
Sweeteners
Sugar
Additives
4
Flagged
Carrageenan

Scored on how processed the ingredients are, which additives are used and why, and whether the label keeps its promises.

03 Risk nutrients1 to 5
4

High risk

Added sugar
12.2 g
Sodium
98 mg
Saturated fat
1.9 g

Scored on free sugar, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat, each weighed by how strong the evidence of harm is.

A closer look

Does the label add up?

Toned milk (86%), sugar, cocoa solids (1.4%), flavour (nature-identical flavouring substances), stabilisers (415, 412, 407), sequestrant (451(i)) and iodised salt.

Per 100 ml: 106 kcal, 2.7 g fat of which 1.9 g saturated, 16.4 g sugar of which 12.2 g added, 3 g protein, 98 mg sodium. The pack prints two panel versions on the same barcode. Version B (milk 86%, 105.9 kcal, 3 g protein, 12.2 g added sugar, sodium 98 mg, calcium 94.6 mg) is used at the user's decision; version A reads milk 84%, 101.2 kcal and sodium 93 mg. Both add up by Atwater. The score is provisional (PANEL_CONFLICT) until the real pack is checked. A Blinkit promo card showing 385 kcal matches neither panel and is not used. Trans fat is printed as under 0.1 g.

Ingredients to watch

  • Added sugarConcern

    12.2 g per 100 ml, above the 8 g drink line; about 22 g in a 180 ml bottle.

  • GumsWorth watching

    Carrageenan costs 6 points; guar gum, xanthan gum and the triphosphate 2 each.

  • SodiumWorth watching

    98 mg per 100 ml.

  • MilkFine

    Toned milk is 86% of the drink, with 3 g protein per 100 ml.

Common misconceptions

Myth: "A thick milkshake is a milk drink"

It is 86% milk, but with 12.2 g of added sugar per 100 ml and four gum and phosphate additives.

Myth: "Chocolate milkshake has real chocolate"

Cocoa solids are 1.4%, and the back says chocolate flavoured.

How often, and how

  • Healthy adultsA few times a week
  • ChildrenOccasionally
  • Diabetes or prediabetesOccasionally, watch the sugar

Smarter ways to eat it

One bottle

A 180 ml bottle is about 191 kcal and 22 g of added sugar.

Try plain milk

Plain milk has the protein and calcium without added sugar.

Common questions

Is Cavin's Chocolate Thick & Creamy Milkshake healthy?

Cavin's Chocolate Thick & Creamy Milkshake scores CB4 (Fair) on CleanPlate, which makes it an occasional-use product, where the concerns start to outweigh the positives. The main concerns are: High added sugar (12.2g per 100ml); Contains Carrageenan. On the plus side: Source of protein (3g); Low sodium.

What does the CB4 score mean?

The first letter (C) grades nutritional value: adequate nutrient density. The second letter (B) grades ingredient and label integrity: good, few concerning additives. The number (4) grades risk nutrients (sugar, sodium, saturated fat): high risk.

Which ingredients in Cavin's Chocolate Thick & Creamy Milkshake should I watch?

Stabilizers (INS 415, INS 412, INS 407) (Carrageenan).

Last reviewed October 18, 2026. Scored with the CleanPlate method from the published label.

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