Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Birds Eye Meat-free cumberland style sausages ultra-processed?

Vegetarian sausages Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Birds Eye Meat-free cumberland style sausages

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:

  • 19 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed vegetarian sausages

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

Water, Rehydrated Pea Protein 25%, Rapeseed Oil, Onion, WHEAT Gluten, Fibre (OAT, Citrus, Psyllium), Gelling Agent (Calcium Alginate), Stabiliser (Methylcellulose), Potato Starch, Pea Flour, Natural Flavourings, Salt, Herbs, Black Pepper

Additives: E404 Calcium alginate , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Rehydrated Pea Protein (25%), Rapeseed Oil, Onion, WHEAT Gluten, Fibre (OAT, Citrus, Psyllium), Gelling Agent (Calcium Alginate), Stabiliser (Methylcellulose), Potato Starch, Pea Flour, Natural Flavourings, Salt, Herbs, Black Pepper.

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.

  • E404 Calcium alginate A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose 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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • 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.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 84 vegetarian sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 41st. 96% of the vegetarian sausages 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 84 vegetarian sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000116126866, 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.