Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Aldi Sardines ultra-processed?

Sardines in oil Sold in the United States

Pack of Aldi Sardines

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed sardines in oil

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

sardines, water, maltodextrin, acetic acid, salt, paprika, modified corn starch, spice (including paprika (color)), xanthan gum, polysorbate 80, caramel color (sardines), 00160

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E260 Acetic acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E433 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

SARDINES, WATER, MALTODEXTRIN, ACETIC ACID, SALT, PAPRIKA, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SPICE EXTRACTIVES (INCLUDING PAPRIKA [COLOR]), XANTHAN GUM, POLYSORBATE 80, CARAMEL COLOR. CONTAINS: FISH (SARDINES) 00160

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.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E433 Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic emulsifier used in ice cream and some sauces to keep fats evenly dispersed.
  • 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.

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.
2 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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 57 sardines in oil

From least to most processed, this one ranks 56th. 16% of the sardines in oil 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 57 sardines in oil, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4099100095968, last edited 18 May 2025), 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.