Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Knorr Stock cube beef ultra-processed?

72 g Bouillon cubes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Knorr Stock cube beef

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
  • 1 additive

Less processed bouillon cubes

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

glucose syrup, vegetable fat (shea), flavorings, onion 8%, potato starch, sugar, beef fat (beef fat, antioxidant (rosemary extracts)), beef 2.5%, spices (pepper, nutmeg, lovage roots, clove), spices (parsley, rosemary), red pepper, carrots

Additives: E392 Extracts of rosemary

As written on the pack

glucose syrup, vegetable fat (shea), flavorings, toasted onion powder (8%), potato starch, sugar, beef fat (beef fat, antioxidant (rosemary extracts)) (3%), beef powder (2,5%), spices (pepper, nutmeg, lovage roots, clove), spices (parsley, rosemary), red pepper, carrots,

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 bouillon cubes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 41st. 85% of the bouillon cubes 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 60 bouillon cubes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8710522941157, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.