Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Chow mein with dried seaweed laver ultra-processed?

Noodles Sold in the United States

Pack of Chow mein with dried seaweed laver

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:

  • 53 ingredients
  • 14 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed noodles

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

Oriental noodles (enriched wheat flour, wheat flour), niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, palm oil (tbhq, citric acid added to protect flavor), salt, sodium carbonate, sugar, monosodium glutamate, tocopherols, potassium carbonate, seasoning (sugar), salt, caramel color, monosodium glutamate, worcestershire sauce (maltodextrin, silicon dioxide), vinegar (modified corn starch, maltodextrin, vinegar), maltodextrin, soy sauce (soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), maltodextrin, salt), sodium diacetate, citric acid, tomato, spices, calcium carbonate, corn oil, corn starch, annatto (for color), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, disodium succinate, artificial flavor, seaweed (laver)

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E160b Annatto , E262 Sodium acetates , E262ii Sodium diacetate , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E330 Citric acid , E363 Succinic acid , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500i Sodium carbonate , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

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

As written on the pack

Oriental noodles: enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil (tbhq and citric acid added to protect flavor), salt, sodium carbonate, sugar, monosodium glutamate, tocopherols, potassium carbonate. powdered seasoning: sugar, salt, caramel color (contains sulfites), monosodium glutamate, worcestershire sauce powder ([distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor and sulfiting agents], maltodextrin, silicon dioxide), vinegar powder (modified corn starch, maltodextrin, vinegar solids), maltodextrin, soy sauce powder (soy sauce [water, wheat, soybeans, salt], maltodextrin, salt), sodium diacetate, citric acid, tomato powder, spices, calcium carbonate, corn oil, corn starch, annatto (for color), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, disodium succinate, artificial flavor. dried seaweed: laver.

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.
  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
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  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a 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.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • 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 416 noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 364th. 73% of the noodles 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 416 noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0076186000516, last edited 7 August 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.