Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Heck Meat-Free Sausages ultra-processed?

300 grams Sausages Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Heck Meat-Free Sausages

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:

  • 40 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed sausages

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

Water, Textured Pea Protein 10%, Functional Binder (Pea Protein, Starch, Flavourings, Stabiliser (Methyl Cellulose), Psyllium, Pea Fibre, Yeast Extracts, Spices, Colour (Betanin), Herb, Salt, Rapeseed Oil), Crumb (Rice Flour, Water, Dextrose Monohydrate, Vegetable Fibre), Coconut Oil, White Onion, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Citrus Fibre, Parsley, Preservative (Sodium SULPHITE), Natural Flavouring, Colour (Maltodextrin, Plant, Fruit Concentrates), Filled into Calcium Alginate Casing, We use this to help our sausages stay fresh for longer, ALLERGENS Refer to ingredients in BOLD, NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Energy Fat

Additives: E162 Beetroot red , E221 Sodium sulphite , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Textured Pea Protein (10%), Functional Binder (Pea Protein, Starch, Flavourings, Stabiliser (Methyl Cellulose), Psyllium, Pea Fibre, Yeast Extracts, Spices, Colour (Betanin), Herb, Salt, Rapeseed Oil), Gluten Free Crumb (Rice Flour, Water, Dextrose Monohydrate, Vegetable Fibre), Coconut Oil, Grilled White Onion, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Citrus Fibre, Parsley, Preservative (Sodium SULPHITE**), Natural Flavouring, Colour (Maltodextrin, Plant and Fruit Concentrates). Filled into Calcium Alginate Casing. **We use this to help our sausages stay fresh for longer. ALLERGENS Refer to ingredients in BOLD. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Energy Fat

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.

  • E162 Beetroot red Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose 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.
  • 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.

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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
6 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.

  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 337 sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 327th. 80% of the sausages 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 337 sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060317354543, last edited 23 April 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.