Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Gressingham Plum and hoisin sauce ultra-processed?

Hoisin sauces Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Gressingham Plum and hoisin sauce

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:

  • 36 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed hoisin sauces

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

sugar, water, sugar, cane molasses, plum 10%, yellow bean sauce 6%, soya bean (soya beans, water, salt, wheat flour), sugar, salt, soy sauce 6% (water, salt, caramel, soya bean, sugar, wheat, wheat flour), red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, modified maize starch, black treacle, red chilli puree (red chilli, white wine vinegar, sunflower oil, sea salt, guar gum), ginger, rapeseed oil, spices, garlic powder, sweeteners

Additives: E150 Caramel , E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

sugar, water, sugar and cane molasses, plum (10%), yellow bean sauce (6%) [soya bean (soya beans, water, salt, wheat flour), sugar, salt), soy sauce (6%) (water, salt, colour: caramel, soya bean, sugar, wheat, wheat flour), red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, thickener: modified maize starch, black treacle, red chilli puree (red chilli, white wine vinegar, sunflower oil, sea salt, stabiliser: guar gum), ginger puree, rapeseed oil, spices, garlic powder. allergy advice: for allergens, see ingredients in bold. no artificial flavourings or sweeteners. suitable for vegetarians.

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.

  • E150 Caramel A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
  • 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.
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.

  • 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 15 hoisin sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 87% of the hoisin sauces 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 15 hoisin sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5034231004006, last edited 6 September 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.