Is Asda Just Essentials Mushy Peas ultra-processed?

300g Canned peas Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Colour
Flavouring
E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins
E160a Carotene

8 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed canned peas

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

peas 90%, water, sugar (processing marker), salt (processing marker), colours (ultra-processing marker) (copper complexes of chlorophyllins (ultra-processing marker), carotenes (ultra-processing marker)), flavouring (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins , E141ii Copper complexes of chlorophyllins , E160a Carotene

As written on the pack

rehydrated processed peas (90%), water, sugar, salt, colours (copper complexes of chlorophyllins, carotenes), flavouring,

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.

E141 Copper complexes of chlorophylls and chlorophyllins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 19 canned peas

From least to most processed, this one ranks 18th. 53% of the canned peas 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 19 canned peas, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 21149016, 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 A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.