Is BOL Middle Eastern Harissa Stew ultra-processed?

Refrigerated plant-based foods 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:

E160c Paprika extract

36 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed refrigerated plant-based foods

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, Chickpeas, Cannellini Beans, Tomato Paste 4%, Red Lentils, Potato, White Onion, Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Citric Acid), Harissa Paste (processing marker) (Red Peppers, Water, Spice Mix (Paprika, Garlic, Cayenne, Cumin), Salt (processing marker), Sunflower oil (processing marker), Rapeseed Oil, Grape Vinegar, Chilli), Rice, Spinach, Garlic, Cornflour, Brown Sugar (processing marker), Ginger, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt (processing marker), Coriander, Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker), Black Pepper

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Water, Chickpeas, Cannellini Beans, Tomato Paste (4%), Red Lentils, Potato, White Onion, Tomatoes (Tomatoes, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid) (2%), Harissa Paste (Red Peppers, Water, Spice Mix (Paprika, Garlic, Cayenne, Cumin), Salt, Sunflower oil, Rapeseed Oil, Grape Vinegar, Chilli) (2%), Rice, Spinach, Garlic, Cornflour, Brown Sugar, Ginger, Lemon Juice, Parsley, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Coriander, Paprika Extract, 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.

E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.

5 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.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
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 18 refrigerated plant-based foods

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 39% of the refrigerated plant-based foods 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 18 refrigerated plant-based foods, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060430292715, last edited 9 September 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.