Is it ultra-processed?
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Potassium metabisulphite (E224)

No. Potassium metabisulphite (E224) 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

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.

A product that contains it can still be ultra-processed for other reasons: 50 of the 104 products here that contain potassium metabisulphite (E224) (48%) 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 potassium metabisulphite (E224) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Potassium metabisulphite (E224) appears in 104 of the 40,000 products on this site (0%).

Products containing potassium metabisulphite (E224)

Showing the 60 most popular of 104.

How the NOVA classification works