Is it ultra-processed?
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Is gold star chip shop style pickled onions ultra-processed?

Pickled onions Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of gold star chip shop style pickled onions

It's processed, but not ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Whole foods combined with:

  • 7 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed pickled vegetables

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

onions, water, salt, acidity regulator (acetic acid), preservative (sodium metabisulphite)

Additives: E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E260 Acetic acid

As written on the pack

onions, water, salt, acidity regulator (acetic acid), preservative (sodium metabisulphite).

What makes it processed

Culinary ingredients

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.

Preservation and traditional processing

Keep food safe or ferment it, like preservatives and cultures. A sign of processing, not ultra-processing.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 13 pickled onions

From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 54% of the pickled onions 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 13 pickled onions, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5020744050005, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.