Nutrition information
Nutrition information: McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium)
| Calories | 280 |
| Total fat | 0g |
| of which saturated | 0g |
| Trans fat | 0g |
| Carbohydrate | 73g |
| Total sugars | 73g |
| Includes added sugars | 73g |
| Fibre | 0g |
| Protein | 0g |
| Sodium | 70mg |
Nutrition figures are McDonald’s USA published data, per item as sold and before any optional sauces or extras. Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) contains 280 calories, which is 14% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 0g of total fat, of which 0g is saturated, 73g of total sugars (73g added), 70mg of sodium, 0g of protein and 0g of fibre.
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) is a single manufactured product. Across the whole item the ingredient list names corn syrups and invert sugar, modified starches, flavourings, artificial colours, preservatives and weighting agents. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make the item survive industrial production, storage and transport.
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) is over the US per-meal added sugar limit
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) contains 73g of added sugar, 7.3 times the 10g per-meal limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The same guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children aged 10 and under.
FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)
Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g
Ultra-processed food: what is really in it
Processing and additives: McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium)
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) is a single manufactured product. Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains corn syrups and invert sugar, modified starches, flavourings, artificial colours, preservatives and weighting agents. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.
Corn syrups and invert sugar
Sweeten and control texture more cheaply than sugar alone. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Modified starches
Starches altered industrially to thicken, bind or hold texture through freezing and reheating. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Flavourings
Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Artificial colours
Petroleum-derived dyes. The US Dietary Guidelines advise limiting them, and Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 would need a warning about children’s activity and attention on UK labels. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Preservatives
Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds in centrally prepared components. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Weighting agents
Keep flavour oils evenly suspended in drinks. Found in the Hi-C Orange Lavaburst.
Boone classifies McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, September 2026.
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) contains at least 11 distinct ingredients: 1 raw and 10 manufactured. Ordered as a full meal with a dip and a dessert that reaches 60, of which 35 are manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.
Ingredient count by order: McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium)
| What you order | Raw | Manufactured | Total | % manufactured |
|---|
| McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) on its own | 1 | 10 | 11 | 91% |
| McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) + medium fries | 6 | 14 | 20 | 70% |
| McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) + fries + a dip | 15 | 20 | 35 | 57% |
| McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) + fries + dip + a medium Coca-Cola | 16 | 22 | 38 | 58% |
| McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) + fries + dip + drink + an OREO McFlurry | 25 | 35 | 60 | 58% |
The 10 manufactured ingredients
ascorbic acid, citric acid, glycerol ester of wood rosin, high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, natural flavor, potassium benzoate, red 40, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, yellow 6.
The 1 raw ingredients
water.
What those ingredients are, by type
Other additives and processing aids3
Colours2
Water1
Sugars and syrups1
Acids and acidity regulators1
Vitamins and fortification1
Starches1
Flavourings and extracts1
Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on McDonald’s published component lists, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in four components counts once. Additive class names are dropped and the named substance kept, so “leavening (baking soda)” counts baking soda once. Ice and water added at the counter are not counted. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum. The build uses a Sweet ’n Sour sauce.
Ingredients
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) is listed by McDonald’s USA as a single component.
Ingredients by component: McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium)
Hi-C Orange Lavaburst
Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), Potassium Benzoate (to Protect Taste), Modified Food Starch, Natural Flavors, Glycerol Ester Of Wood Rosin, Yellow 6, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Red 40.
Ingredients taken from the McDonald’s USA product pages, retrieved September 2026, with obvious spelling errors corrected. Recipes change - always check in restaurant before ordering if you have an allergy.
Allergens at a glance
McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium) does not declare any of the nine major US allergens.
Allergen information: McDonald's US Hi-C Orange Lavaburst (Medium)
| Allergen | Status |
|---|
| Milk | Not declared |
| Eggs | Not declared |
| Fish | Not declared |
| Crustacean shellfish | Not declared |
| Tree nuts | Not declared |
| Peanuts | Not declared |
| Wheat | Not declared |
| Soybeans | Not declared |
| Sesame | Not declared |
Contains artificial colours that would need a warning about children’s activity and attention on UK labels. Contains = declared by McDonald’s USA. May contain = McDonald’s states the allergen may be present. McDonald’s prepares food in shared kitchens, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list names them. Retrieved September 2026.
