Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Ainsley Harriott Caribbean Inspired Couscous ultra-processed?

100 g Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Ainsley Harriott Caribbean Inspired Couscous

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 38 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Couscous (wheat), Sugar, Salt, Garlic, Onion, Red Pepper, Carrots, Maltodextrin, Coconut Milk (Coconut, Maltodextrin, Sodium Caseinate, e341C), Yeast Extract, Rapeseed Oil, Turmeric, Coriander, Cumin, Flavourings, Cloves, Anti-Caking Agent (e551), Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Lovage, Chives, Parsley, Kibbled Lovage Leaf, Thyme, Paprika, celery, Dill, Chilli, Black Pepper, White Pepper, For allergens including cereals containing gluten please see ingredients in BOLD

Additives: E551 Silicon dioxide

As written on the pack

Couscous (WHEAT) (84%), Sugar, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Red Pepper, Carrots, Maltodextrin, Coconut Milk (Coconut Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Caseinate (MILK), E341C), Yeast Extract, Rapeseed Oil, Turmeric, Ground Coriander, Ground Cumin, Flavourings, Cloves, Anti-Caking Agent: E551, Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Ground Lovage, Chives, Parsley, Kibbled Lovage Leaf, Thyme. Paprika, Ground CELERY, Ground Dill, Chilli Powder, Black Pepper, White Pepper. For allergens including cereals containing gluten please see ingredients in BOLD,

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E551 Silicon dioxide A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5025820005368, last edited 27 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.