Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Aldi Dirty rice ultra-processed?

250 g Rice dishes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Aldi Dirty rice

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:

  • 41 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed rice dishes

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

long grain rice 77% (Water, Long Grain Rice), black beans 7% (Water, Black Beans), red bell pepper 39%, yellow bell pepper 3%, Onion, green bell pepper (296), Sunflower Oil, Yeast Extract, Yeast Extract Powder, Sugar, Onion, Glucose Syrup, Syrup, Parsley, Salt, Water, Smoked Salt, Garlic, Stabiliser, Guar Gum, Tomato Purée, Red Pepper, Chili Rakes, Smoked Paprika, Chilli, Garlic Purée Onion Extract, Chipotle Chilli, Paprika Powder, Green Jalapeno, White Wine Vinegar, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Coriander, Allspice, Fennel, Garlic Extract

Additives: E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

COOKED LONG GRAIN RICE (77%) (Water, Long Grain Rice), COOKED BLACK BEANS (7%) (Water, Black Beans), DICED RED BELL PEPPER (39%), DICED YELLOW BELL PEPPER (3%), Onion, DICED GREEN BELL PEPPER (296), Sunflower Oil, Yeast Extract, Yeast Extract Powder, Sugar, Onion Powder, Glucose Syrup, Molasses Syrup, Dried Parsley, Salt, Water, Smoked Salt, Garlic Powder, Stabiliser. Guar Gum; Tomato Purée, Red Pepper Juice, Chili Rakes, Smoked Paprika Powder, Chilli Powder, Garlic Purée Onion Extract, Chipotle Chilli Powder, Paprika Powder, Green Jalapeno Powder, White Wine Vinegar, Ground Black Pepper, Ground White Pepper, Coriander Powder, Ground Allspice, Fennel Powder, Garlic Extract.

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.

  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 192 rice dishes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 136th. 71% of the rice dishes here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 192 rice dishes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600501871, 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.