Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Asda Chicken And Pasta Salad ultra-processed?

Pasta salads Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 68 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed pasta salads

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

sun-dried tomato, vinaigrette dressed wholewheat pasta 38% (wholewheat pasta, whole durum wheat, water), tomato puree (sun-dried tomatoes, tomato puree, water, salt, acidity regulator (citric acid), glucose), water, coriander, basil, white wine vinegar, rapeseed oil, black pepper, dijon mustard (water, mustard, spirit vinegar, salt, mustard husk, pimento, turmeric), sugar stabilisers (xanthan gum, guar gum), extra virgin olive oil, garlic puree, vegetable mix 22% (carrots, cucumber, sweetcorn), piri puri style marinated chicken 14% (chicken 85%, chicken breast, salt), sugar, water, spirit vinegar, tomato puree, garlic puree, cornflour, red chillies, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, lemon juice, parsley, paprika, iceberg lettuce 13%, sour cream 13%, chive dressing 13% (water rapeseed oil, cornflour, soured cream, white wine vinegar, egg yolk, egg yolk, salt), spirit vinegar, sugar, chives, lemon juice salt

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

sun-dried tomato, vinaigrette dressed wholewheat pasta (38%) [wholewheat pasta[whole durum wheat flour, water], sun-dried tomato puree [sun-dried tomatoes, tomato puree, water, salt, acidity regulator (citric acid), glucose], water, coriander, basil, white wine vinegar, rapeseed oil, black pepper,dijon mustard [water, mustard flour, spirit vinegar, salt, mustard husk, pimento, turmeric,], sugar stabilisers (xanthan gum, guar gum), extra virgin olive oil, garlic puree], vegetable mix (22%) [carrots, cucumber, sweetcorn], piri puri style marinated chicken (14%) [chicken (85%) [chicken breast, salt], sugar, water, spirit vinegar, tomato puree, garlic puree, cornflour, red chillies, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder, lemon juice, parsley, paprika], iceberg lettuce (13%), sour cream and chive dressing (13%)[water rapeseed oil, cornflour, soured cream (milk), white wine vinegar, salted egg yolk [egg yolk, salt], spirit vinegar, sugar, chives, lemon juice salt]

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.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.

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.
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 42 pasta salads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 60% of the pasta salads 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 42 pasta salads, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5063089402641, 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.
  • 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.