Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Batchelors Chicken Noodles ultra-processed?

90g Instant noodles Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Batchelors Chicken Noodles

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:

  • 27 ingredients
  • 7 additives

Less processed instant noodles

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

Noodles (Water, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Antioxidants (Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Citric Acid, Propyl Gallate)), Maltodextrin, Salt, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Onion, Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Flavouring, Turmeric, Malic Acid, Parsley, Black Pepper Extract

Additives: E296 Malic acid , E310 Propyl gallate , E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha) , E330 Citric acid , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

As written on the pack

Noodles (Water, Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Antioxidants (Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Citric Acid, Propyl Gallate)), Maltodextrin, Salt, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Onion, Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Flavouring, Ground Turmeric, Malic Acid, Parsley, Black Pepper Extract

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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 147th. 93% of the instant noodles 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000354405099, last edited 2 August 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.