Is Asda Moroccan style falafels ultra-processed?

Falafels 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:

Gluten

31 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score A

Less processed falafels

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

Cooked Chickpeas 60% (Chickpeas, Water), Red Peppers 16%, Onions 13%, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)), Rapeseed Oil, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Olive Pomace Oil (processing marker), Garlic Purée, Lemon Juice from concentrate, Cumin, Parsley, Red Pepper, Coriander Leaf, Coriander, Salt (processing marker), Cayenne Pepper, Cumin Seeds, Cardamom, Raising Agent (Ammonium Carbonates), Black Pepper For allergens, including Cereals containing Gluten

Additives: E503 Ammonium carbonates

As written on the pack

Cooked Chickpeas (60%) [Chickpeas, Water], Red Peppers (16%), Onions (13%), Fortified Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1)], Rapeseed Oil, Wheat Gluten, Olive Pomace Oil, Garlic Purée, Lemon Juice from concentrate, Cumin Powder, Parsley, Red Pepper Flakes, Coriander Leaf, Coriander Powder, Salt, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin Seeds, Cardamom, Raising Agent (Ammonium Carbonates), Black Pepper For allergens, including Cereals containing Gluten, see ingredients in bold.

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.

Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.

3 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.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 45 falafels

From least to most processed, this one ranks 31st. 42% of the falafels 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 falafels, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057172319282, 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.