Is Asda Light brown sugar ultra-processed?

500g Brown sugars Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Sugar, Cane Molasses, Humectant (ultra-processing marker) (Glycerol (ultra-processing marker))

Additives: E422 Glycerol

As written on the pack

Sugar, Cane Molasses, Humectant (Glycerol).

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 18% of the brown sugars 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.

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057172098897, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.