Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Cup Noodles Spicy Hot Chilli ultra-processed?

66g Instant noodles Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Cup Noodles Spicy Hot Chilli

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:

  • 41 ingredients
  • 9 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed instant 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

Noodles 84.8% (Wheat flour, palm oil, salt, flavour enhancer (monosodium glutamate), acidity regulators (sodium carbonate, citric acid), stabiliser (triphosphates), antioxidant (tocopherol-rich extract)), red bell pepper, salt, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), sugar, soy sauce (soybean, Wheat, salt, maltodextrin), spring onion, maltodextrin, Sesame Seeds, chilli 0.7%, hydrolysed maize protein, spices 0.4%, flavourings (contain Sesame), yeast extract, toasted Sesame oil, colours (plain caramel, carmine), anti-caking agent (silicone dioxide), acidity regulator (citric acid)

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E150a Plain caramel , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E330 Citric acid , E451 Triphosphates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500i Sodium carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

As written on the pack

Noodles 84.8%(Wheat flour, palm oil, salt, flavour enhancer(monosodium glutamate), acidity regulators(sodium carbonate, citric acid), stabiliser(triphosphates), antioxidant(tocopherol-rich extract)), red bell pepper, salt, flavour enhancers(monosodium glutamate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), sugar, soy sauce powder(SOYBEAN, Wheat, salt, maltodextrin), spring onion, maltodextrin, Sesame Seeds, chilli powder 0.7%, hydrolysed maize protein, spices 0.4%, flavourings(contain Sesame), yeast extract, toasted Sesame oil, colours(plain caramel, carmine), anti-caking agent(silicone dioxide), acidity regulator(citric acid)

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.
  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • 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.
  • 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.
Show 2 more
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.

  • Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 193rd. 93% of the instant 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5997523314958, last edited 5 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.