Is Ben's Spicy lentil stew ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 29 ingredients
- 2 additives
- Nutri-Score A
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Tomatoes 39%, brown lentils 14%, carrot 14%, red bell pepper 7.4%, garlic, red onion 5.8%, sunflower oil (processing marker), tomato paste 2.2%, oats, sugar (processing marker), pea protein, yeast extract, salt (processing marker), corn dextrin (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), mushroom powder, basil, corn starch (processing marker), colour (ultra-processing marker) (paprika oleoresin (ultra-processing marker)), red chilli, black pepper, thyme, oregano, natural flavouring (ultra-processing marker), green chilli, This product is made to a recipe but as it is manufactured in a facility that uses milk, it is not suitable for people with a milk allergy, Visit BersOriginal.co.uk and for more delicious
Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E160c Paprika extract
As written on the pack
Tomatoes (39%), brown lentils (14%), carrot (14%), red bell pepper (7.4%), garlic, red onion (5.8%), sunflower oil, tomato paste (2.2%), oats, sugar, pea protein, yeast extract, salt, corn dextrin, maltodextrin, mushroom powder, basil, corn starch, colour (paprika oleoresin), red chilli, black pepper, thyme, oregano, natural flavouring (contains celery], green chilli. May contain: cashews, milk, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soya, barley, wheat. This product is made to a vegan recipe but as it is manufactured in a facility that uses milk, it is not suitable for people with a milk allergy. Visit BersOriginal.co.uk or for more delicious
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.
- E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
- E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
- 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.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010034013568, 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 A (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.