Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Cup noodle Kaisen seafood ultra-processed?

75g Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Cup noodle Kaisen seafood

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:

  • 52 ingredients
  • 10 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Noodles 80.8% (WHEAT flour, palm oil sat fau Braces (monosodium glutamate), acidity regulators (sodium carbonates, citric acid), stabiliser (triphosphates), copherol-rich extract), cabbage, maltodextrin, surimi preparation 1.3% (FISH meat, humectant (sorbitols), WHEAT start su faring), spices, squid preparation 1.1%, squid, modified starch, stabiliser (sodium carbonates), salt flavour enhance adetin, starch, salt, stabilisers (diphosphates, triphosphates), colours (carmine, paprika extract, sulphite ammonia carame arate disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), soy sauce (soybean, wheat, salt, maltodextrin), glucose syrup, salt com.sg.p sadium glutamate, natural flavourings, flavourings (contain WHEAT, soya, sesame), flavour enhancers monsu www.estract powder, mussel, dextrose, yeast extract, palm oil, hydrolysed maize protein, spring onion

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E14XX Modified Starch , E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid , E420 Sorbitol , E450 Diphosphates , E451 Triphosphates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide.

As written on the pack

Noodles 80.8% (WHEAT flour, palm oil sat fau Braces (monosodium glutamate), acidity regulators (sodium carbonates, citric acid), stabiliser (triphosphates) and copherol-rich extract), cabbage, maltodextrin, surimi preparation 1.3% (FISH meat, humectant (sorbitols), WHEAT start su faring), spices, squid preparation 1.1% [squid (MOLLUSCS), modified starch, stabiliser (sodium carbonates), salt flavour enhance adetin, starch, salt, stabilisers (diphosphates, triphosphates), colours (carmine, paprika extract, sulphite ammonia carame arate disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), soy sauce powder (SOYBEAN, WHEAT, salt, maltodextrin), glucose syrup, salt com.sg.p sadium glutamate, natural flavourings), flavourings (contain WHEAT, SOYA, SESAME), flavour enhancers monsu www.estract powder, mussel extract (MOLLUSCS), dextrose, yeast extract, palm oil, hydrolysed maize protein, spring onion

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.
  • 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.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E451 Triphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
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  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5997523314842, last edited 27 March 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.