Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Chef Select Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice ultra-processed?

400 g Chicken tikka masala Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Chef Select Chicken Tikka Masala with Pilau Rice

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:

  • 62 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed chicken tikka masala

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

Ingredients 44% Pilau Rice (Water, Basmati Rice, Rapeseed Oil, Turmeric, Cumin Seeds, Salt), Tikka Masala Sauce 38% (Onion, Water, Single Cream, Tomato, Yogurt, Garlic Purée, Tomato Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Unsalted Butter, Coriander, Ginger, Salt, Cashews, Maize Flour, Coriander Leaf, Paprika, Garam Masala (Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaf), Cumin, Green Chilli, Almonds, Turmeric, Paprika Extract, Fenugreek), Chicken 18% (Chicken Breast 86%, Tomato Purée, Ginger, Garlic Purée, Masala Powder (Salt, Chilli, Fenugreek, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Mace, Star Anise, Turmeric, Basil), Paprika Extract, Yogurt, Cornflour, Green Chilli)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract

As written on the pack

Ingredients 44% Pilau Rice (Water, Basmati Rice, Rapeseed Oil, Turmeric, Cumin Seeds, Salt), 38% Tikka Masala Sauce (Onion, Water, Single Cream (Milk), Tomato, Yogurt (Milk), Garlic Purée, Tomato Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Unsalted Butter (Milk), Ground Coriander, Ginger Purée, Salt, Cashews, Maize Flour, Coriander Leaf, Paprika, Garam Masala [Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, Bay Leaf], Cumin, Green Chilli, Almonds, Turmeric, Colour: Paprika Extract, Fenugreek), 18% Marinated Chicken (86% Chicken Breast, Tomato Purée, Ginger Purée, Garlic Purée, Masala Powder [Salt, Chilli, Fenugreek, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Mace, Star Anise, Turmeric, Basil], Colour: Paprika Extract, Yogurt (Milk), Cornflour, Green Chilli). Allergy Advice For allergens, see ingredients in bold.

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.

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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 19 chicken tikka masala

From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 89% of the chicken tikka masala 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 19 chicken tikka masala, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4056489823605, last edited 17 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.