Is Knorr Rich Beef Stock cubes 8 x ultra-processed?

80 g, 8 x 10 g Broth stock Sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin

16 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed broth stock

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

Salt (processing marker), vegetable fats (processing marker) (palm, shea, sal), potato starch (processing marker), BARLEY malt extract, sugar (processing marker), yeast extract, flavourings (ultra-processing marker), beef extract 2%, onion, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), lemon juice, sunflower oil (processing marker), parsley roots

As written on the pack

Salt, vegetable fats (palm, shea, sal), potato starch, BARLEY malt extract, sugar, yeast extract, flavourings (contain MILK), beef extract (2%), onion juice concentrate, maltodextrin, lemon juice powder, sunflower oil, parsley roots.

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.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

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.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
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 fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 24 broth stock

From least to most processed, this one ranks 18th. 50% of the broth stock 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 24 broth stock, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8710908960017, last edited 18 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 C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.