Is Knorr Spiral Pasta in a Creamy Buffalo Chicken Flavored Sauce ultra-processed?

121 g Instant pasta Sold in the United States and Germany

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E101 Riboflavin
E621 Monosodium glutamate
E627 Disodium guanylate
E631 Disodium inosinate

24 ingredients
6 additives

Less processed instant pasta

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

pasta (durum flour, wheat flour), corn starch (processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), paprika, citric acid, onion, chicken fat, spice, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), silicon dioxide, yeast extract, disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), potassium salt, annatto, monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), riboflavin (ultra-processing marker), niacin, thiamine mononitrate, ferrous sulfate, folic acid

Additives: E101 Riboflavin , E101i Riboflavin , E330 Citric acid , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

PASTA (DURUM FLOUR, WHEAT FLOUR), CORN STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, PAPRIKA, CITRIC ACID, ONION POWDER, CHICKEN FAT, SPICE, NATURAL FLAVOR, SILICON DIOXIDE, YEAST EXTRACT, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, POTASSIUM SALT, ANNATTO EXTRACT, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, RIBOFLAVIN, NIACIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, FERROUS SULFATE, FOLIC ACID.

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.

E101 Riboflavin 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.
E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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.

3 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 43 instant pasta

From least to most processed, this one ranks 39th. 60% of the instant pasta 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 43 instant pasta, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041000009655, last edited 28 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.