Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Jack Link's Biltong ultra-processed?

20g Dried meats Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Jack Link's Biltong

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed dried meats

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

Beef, vinegar, iodised salt (salt, potassium iodate), spices, maize starch, garlic, onion, tomato, paprika, spice extract, yeast extract, smoke flavouring, preservative (sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate), salt, Packed in a protective atmosphere, keeps without refrigeration, Made in Germany from EU beef, + contains naturally occurring sugars

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E250 Sodium nitrite

As written on the pack

Beef, vinegar, iodised salt (salt, potassium iodate), spices, maize starch, garlic powder, onion, tomato, paprika, spice extract, yeast extract, smoke flavouring, preservative (sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate), salt. Packed in a protective atmosphere, keeps without refrigeration. Made in Germany from EU beef. + CONTAINS NATURALLY OCCURRING SUGARS.

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.
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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 47 dried meats

From least to most processed, this one ranks 38th. 51% of the dried meats 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 47 dried meats, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4251097420288, last edited 25 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.