Is Asda Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Flavouring
- Hydrogenated fat
- Whey
- Vegetable fiber
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 23 ingredients
- 1 additive
- Nutri-Score B
Less processed tortelloni
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
fresh egg pasta 56% (wheat flour, durum wheat semolina, whole egg 20%), ricotta cheese (processing marker) 19% (cheese, salt (processing marker)), potatoes (potatoes, emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (ultra-processing marker))), spinach 6%, whey powder (ultra-processing marker), sunflower oil (processing marker), full fat hard cheese, chicory fibre (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), flavourings (ultra-processing marker), nutmeg, garlic, including cereals containing gluten, flavours (ultra-processing marker), hydrogenated fat (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
fresh egg pasta (56%) [wheat flour, durum wheat semolina, pasteurised whole egg (20%)], salted ricotta cheese (19%) [cheese (milk), salt], dehydrated potatoes [potatoes, emulsifier (mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids)], spinach (6%), whey powder (milk), sunflower oil, full fat hard cheese (milk), chicory fibre, salt, flavourings (contains milk), nutmeg, garlic powder, allergy advice! for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold, may also contain traces of nuts, fish, crustaceans, mollusc and celery, packaged in a protective atmosphere, no artificial colours, flavours or hydrogenated fat,
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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
- Hydrogenated fat An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
- Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
- Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
4 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.
- Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
Among 15 tortelloni
From least to most processed, this one ranks 15th. 87% of the tortelloni here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5051413871225, 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 B (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.