Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Bisto Best Chicken Gravy ultra-processed?

390g Liquid chicken broths Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Bisto Best Chicken Gravy

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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 6 additives

Less processed liquid chicken broths

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

maltodextrin, potato starch, salt, vegetable ols (palm, rapeseed), monosodium glutamate, disodium 5-ribonucleotides, ammonia caramel, chicken 2%, flavourings, autolysed yeast, onion powder, soya lecithin, chicken fat, onion extract, spice, black pepper extract, sage, onion oi, rosemary extract

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E392 Extracts of rosemary , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

maltodextrin, potato starch, salt, vegetable ols (palm, rapeseed), flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium 5-ribonucleotides), colour (ammonia caramel), chicken powder (2%), flavourings, autolysed yeast, onion powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin), chicken fat, onion extract, spice, black pepper extract, sage extract, onion oi, rosemary 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.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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 9 liquid chicken broths

From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 67% of the liquid chicken broths 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 liquid chicken broths, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000354915697, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.