Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Asda Protein Pesto Penne Chicken ultra-processed?

380 g Meals with chicken Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Asda Protein Pesto Penne Chicken

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:

  • 24 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed meals with chicken

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 Wholewheat Penne Pasta 39% (Water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Rapeseed Oil), Chicken Breast 15% (Chicken Breast 97%, Dextrose, Potato Starch, Salt), Water, Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Single Cream, Pesto 4% (Sunflower Oil, Basil, Medium Fat Hard Cheese, Salt), Baby Spinach, Basil, Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (Milk), Cornflour, including cereals containing gluten

As written on the pack

Cooked Wholewheat Penne Pasta (39%) [Water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Rapeseed Oil], Roasted Chicken Breast Pieces (15%) [Chicken Breast (97%), Dextrose, Potato Starch, Salt], Water, Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Single Cream (Milk), Pesto (4%) [Sunflower Oil, Basil, Medium Fat Hard Cheese (Milk), Salt], Baby Leaf Spinach, Basil, Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (Unpasteurised Milk), Cornflour. Allergy Advice! for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. May also contain nuts, peanuts and sesame seeds.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
6 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 213 meals with chicken

From least to most processed, this one ranks 87th. 79% of the meals with chicken 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 213 meals with chicken, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5063089340837, last edited 9 June 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.