Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Clonakilty Irish Pork Sausages ultra-processed?

454g Pork sausages Sold in Ireland and France

Pack of Clonakilty Irish Pork Sausages

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:

  • 40 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed pork sausages

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

Irish Pork 55%, Water, Rusk (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin (B3), Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamin (B1)), Salt), Irish Pork Fat 8%, Seasoning (Salt, Rusk, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin (B3), Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamin (B1)), Salt), Flavourings, Preservative (Sodium Sulphite), Dextrose, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Colour (Carmine), Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Filled into Beef Collagen Casings (Collagen, Cellulose)

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E221 Sodium sulphite , E301 Sodium ascorbate , E460 Cellulose , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Irish Pork (55%), Water, Rusk [Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin (B3), Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamin (B1)), Salt], Irish Pork Fat (8%), Seasoning [Salt, Rusk [Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin (B3), Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamin (B1)), Salt], Flavourings, Preservative (Sodium Sulphite), Dextrose, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Colour (Carmine), Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate)]. Filled into Beef Collagen Casings (Collagen, Cellulose).

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.

  • E120 Cochineal Carmine is a red colour made from cochineal insects.
  • E460 Cellulose A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.

  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Bread An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 55 pork sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 55th. 89% of the pork sausages 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 55 pork sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5099490000305, last edited 8 May 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.