Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Batchelors Super Noodles Chow Mein Flavour ultra-processed?

Instant noodles Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Batchelors Super Noodles Chow Mein Flavour

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:

  • 28 ingredients
  • 6 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)), Sugar, Onion, Salt, Yeast Extract, Ground Ginger, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), Colour (Plain Caramel), Garlic, Fennel Seeds, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove, Spice Extracts

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E310 Propyl gallate , E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha) , E330 Citric acid , 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)), Sugar, Onion, Salt, Yeast Extract, Ground Ginger, Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), Colour (Plain Caramel), Garlic, Ground Fennel Seeds, Ground Black Pepper, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Clove, Spice Extracts

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.

  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 99th. 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 5000354914416, last edited 4 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.