Is Clover Leaf Flaked Light Tuna Lemon & Pepper ultra-processed?

85 g Tunas in oil Sold in the United States, Canada and France

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Modified starch
E412 Guar gum

12 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score A

Less processed tunas in oil

Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil RIO mare 6 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Solid Yellowfin Tuna StarKist E.V.O.O. 4 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Bonito del norte in organic extra virgin olive oil Ortiz 3 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Ortiz Atún Claro En Aceite Oliva Ortiz 3 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3

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

Skipjack tuna, Water, Soya oil (processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Black pepper, Salt (processing marker), Lemon juice, Citric, Modified corn starch (ultra-processing marker), Vegetable broth, Guar gum (ultra-processing marker), Lemon flavour (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

Skipjack tuna, Water, Soya oil, Sugar, Black pepper, Salt, Lemon juice, Citric, Modified corn starch, Vegetable broth, Guar gum, Lemon flavour

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.

E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
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.

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.

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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 18 tunas in oil

From least to most processed, this one ranks 18th. 6% of the tunas in oil 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 tunas in oil, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0061362434865, last edited 6 June 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.