Is Aldi Pad thai meal kit ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 22 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed meal kits
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
pad thai sauce (sugar (processing marker), water, shallot, soya bean oil (processing marker), salt (processing marker), tamarind paste, tomato paste, garlic, modified corn starch (ultra-processing marker), paprika oleoresin (ultra-processing marker), ammonia caramel, xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker), chilli), rice noodles (rice flour, water), roasted peanuts, 26 5ge if you are not entirely satisfied wi please return it to the store wher and we will be pleased to replace this does not affect your statuto special allergy advice, preservatives (processing marker), aldi ston athersto aldi sta aldi po box 4088600294308 www, sleeve recy huawei p30 pro leica quad camera pouches d 00
Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E160c Paprika extract , E415 Xanthan gum
As written on the pack
pad thai sauce (sugar, water, shallot, soya bean oil, salt, tamarind paste, tomato paste, garlic, stabiliser: modified corn starch, colours: paprika oleoresin, ammonia caramel, emulsifier: xanthan gum, chilli powder), rice noodles (rice flour, water), roasted peanuts, 26 5ge if you are not entirely satisfied wi please return it to the store wher and we will be pleased to replace this does not affect your statuto special allergy advice: for allergens, see ingredients in bold, may also contain nuts and sesame, dietary advice: suitable for vegetarians, no artificial flavourings or preservatives, aldi ston athersto aldi sta aldi po box 4088600294308 www, sleeve recy huawei p30 pro leica quad camera pouches d 00
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.
- E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
- E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
- E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
- Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
6 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.
- Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Meal kits Products in the category "Meal kits" are at least group 3.
Among 20 meal kits
From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 75% of the meal kits here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600294308, last edited 1 September 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 D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.