Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Blue Dragon Chow Mein stir fry sauce ultra-processed?

120 g Vegan sauces Sold in the United Kingdom, Poland and Portugal

Pack of Blue Dragon Chow Mein stir fry sauce

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
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed vegan sauces

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, Sugar, Dark Soy Sauce 7% (Water, Salt, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Soya Bean, Plain Caramel, Yeast Extract, Spirit Vinegar, Wheat), Ginger 4.5%, Spring Onion 4.5%, Modified Maize Starch, Garlic Purée 3.5%, Onion 3%, Toasted Sesame Oil, Red Chilli Paste 1% (Red Chilli Peppers, Salt, Acetic Acid), Plain Caramel, Yeast Extract Paste, Citric Acid, including cereals containing gluten, preservatives, and

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E260 Acetic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Water, Sugar, Dark Soy Sauce (7%) [Water, Salt, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Defatted Soya Bean Flakes, Colour (Plain Caramel), Yeast Extract, Spirit Vinegar, Roasted Wheat], Ginger Purée (4.5%), Spring Onion (4.5%), Modified Maize Starch, Garlic Purée (3.5%), Onion Purée (3%), Toasted Sesame Oil, Red Chilli Paste (1%) [Red Chilli Peppers, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Acetic Acid)], Colour (Plain Caramel), Yeast Extract Paste, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid). Allergy Advice: For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. May also contain peanuts and nuts. No artificial flavours or preservatives. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

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.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
6 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.

  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 36 vegan sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 86% of the vegan sauces 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 36 vegan sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010338200060, last edited 22 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.