Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Kohinoor tarka dal ultra-processed?

Plant-based meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Kohinoor tarka dal

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed plant-based meals

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

water, onion 11%, tomato 8.8%, red lentil 3.8%, chickpea 3.8%, sunflower oil, pigeon pea 1.9%, garlic, moong beans 1.3%, salt, green chilli, green coriander, modified starch, turmeric powder, ginger, mango, cumin seeds 0.16%, red chilli

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch

As written on the pack

water, onion (11%), tomato (8,8%), red lentil (3,8%), split chickpea (3,8%), sunflower oil, pigeon pea (1,9%), garlic, moong beans (1,3%), salt, green chilli, green coriander, modified starch, turmeric powder, ginger, mango powder, cumin seeds (0,16%) and red chilli powder.

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
4 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 65 plant-based meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 53rd. 49% of the plant-based meals 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 65 plant-based meals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8901047816178, 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.