Sodium metabisulphite (E223)

No. Sodium metabisulphite (E223) is not one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as processed or ultra-processed, so on its own it doesn't raise a product's NOVA group.

What it is

Sodium metabisulphite is a preservative and antioxidant that releases sulphur dioxide. Sulphites above 10 mg per kg or litre must be labelled as an allergen in the EU and UK.

A product that contains it can still be ultra-processed for other reasons: 406 of the 496 products here that contain sodium metabisulphite (E223) (82%) are in group 4 because of other ingredients or additives.

Function

Antioxidant: Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
Preservative: Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about sodium metabisulphite (E223) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Sodium metabisulphite (E223) appears in 496 of the 40,000 products on this site (1%).

Pork sausages 34 of 55 products
Sausages 28 of 337 products
Chipolatas 20 of 27 products
Biscuits 17 of 1,514 products
Dried mangoes 15 of 35 products
Artificially sweetened beverages 13 of 525 products

Products containing sodium metabisulphite (E223)

Showing the 60 most popular of 496.

How the NOVA classification works