Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304)

No. Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304) 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: 95 of the 99 products here that contain fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304) (96%) 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.

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

More about fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304) appears in 99 of the 40,000 products on this site (0%).

Instant mashed potatoes 9 of 25 products
Crackers (Appetizers) 7 of 715 products
Fruit soy yogurts 7 of 15 products
Filled cereals 6 of 26 products
Breakfast cereals 4 of 1,868 products
Crisps 4 of 1,471 products

Products containing fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (E304)

Showing the 60 most popular of 99.

How the NOVA classification works