Is Asda Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes ultra-processed?

129g Puffed rice cakes 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:

Maltodextrin

11 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed puffed rice cakes

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

Brown Rice 73%, Maize, Salt (processing marker), Vinegar Flavour Seasoning (Maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), Sodium Acetate, Salt (processing marker), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Yeast Extract), Not suitable for milk and soya allergy sufferers

Additives: E262 Sodium acetates , E262i Sodium acetate , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Brown Rice (73%), Maize, Salt and Vinegar Flavour Seasoning [Maltodextrin, Sodium Acetate, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Yeast Extract]. Not suitable for milk or soya allergy sufferers. May contain traces of 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.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

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.

Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 142 puffed rice cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 73rd. 63% of the puffed rice cakes 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 142 puffed rice cakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5054070042328, last edited 16 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 D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.