Is Aldi Salami ultra-processed?

135 g Salami Sold in the United Kingdom and Germany

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Dextrose
Glucose

12 ingredients
2 additives

Less processed salami

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

pork, Salt (processing marker), Dextrose (ultra-processing marker), Black Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Pepper Extract, Chilli, Preservative (processing marker) (Sodium Nitrite (processing marker))

Additives: E250 Sodium nitrite , E301 Sodium ascorbate

As written on the pack

PORK, Salt, Dextrose, Black Pepper, Garlic, Ginger, Antioxidant: Sodium Ascorbate; Pepper Extract, Chilli Extract, Preservative: Sodium Nitrite.

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
Glucose Glucose, usually listed as 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.

E250 Sodium nitrite 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.
Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 45 salami

From least to most processed, this one ranks 19th. 84% of the salami 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 45 salami, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600562506, last edited 26 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.