Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Heck Sweet Chilli Chicken ultra-processed?

340 g Chickens Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Heck Sweet Chilli Chicken

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed chickens

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

British Chicken 75%, Water, Red Pepper 4%, White Onion 4%, Pea Flour, Seasoning (Salt, Rice Flour, Sugar, Leek, Preservative (Sodium SULPHITE), Spice, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Natural Flavourings, Yeast Extract, Flavouring), Brown Sugar, Coconut Oil, Hen Miris Chilli 1%, Garlic, Mango, Citrus Fibre

Additives: E221 Sodium sulphite , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

British Chicken (75%), Water, Red Pepper (4%), Grilled White Onion (4%), Pea Flour, Seasoning (Salt, Rice Flour, Sugar, Dried Leek, Preservative (Sodium SULPHITE**), Spice, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Natural Flavourings, Yeast Extract, Flavouring), Brown Sugar, Coconut Oil, Hen Miris Chilli (1%), Garlic, Mango Pulp Powder, Citrus Fibre.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 356 chickens

From least to most processed, this one ranks 206th. 74% of the chickens 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 356 chickens, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060317354901, 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.