Is Birchwood Deli Choice Roast Turkey Breast ultra-processed?

Cooked turkey breast slices 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:

E326 Potassium lactate
E451 Triphosphates

7 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score B

Less processed cooked turkey breast slices

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

Turkey 99%, Potassium Lactate (ultra-processing marker), Sodium Acetates, Pea Starch (processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Triphosphates (ultra-processing marker), Caramelised Sugar Syrup (processing marker)

Additives: E262 Sodium acetates , E326 Potassium lactate , E451 Triphosphates

As written on the pack

99% Turkey, Preservatives: Potassium Lactate, Sodium Acetates; Pea Starch, Salt, Stabilisers: Triphosphates; Caramelised Sugar Syrup.

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.

E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
E451 Triphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.

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.

Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 9 cooked turkey breast slices

From least to most processed, this one ranks 5th. 78% of the cooked turkey breast slices 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 9 cooked turkey breast slices, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4335619124950, last edited 31 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.
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.