Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Chicken of the sea Sardines in mustard sauce ultra-processed?

3.75 oz (106 g) Canned sardines Sold in the United States

Pack of Chicken of the sea Sardines in mustard 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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 5 additives

Less processed canned sardines

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

sardines, mustard sauce (water, mustard, vinegar, maltodextrin, modified starch, citric acid, guar gum, spices, monosodium glutamate, turmeric oleoresin, xanthan gum, chili), salt

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

sardines , mustard sauce (water, mustard powder, vinegar, maltodextrin, modified starch, citric acid, guar gum, spices, monosodium glutamate, turmeric oleoresin, xanthan gum, chili powder), salt

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • 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.

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.
3 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 91 canned sardines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 91st. 16% of the canned sardines 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 91 canned sardines, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0048000007087, last edited 22 January 2025), 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.