Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Laoganma Crispy Chilli in Oil ultra-processed?

210 g Sold in the United Kingdom and Sweden

Pack of Laoganma Crispy Chilli in Oil

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:

  • 10 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score E

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Soybean oil 45%, chilli 25%, onion 15%, soybeans (soybeans, water), flavour enhancer, salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper

Additives: E621 Monosodium glutamate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E621 Monosodium glutamate.

As written on the pack

Soybean oil 45%, chilli 25%, onion 15%, fermented soybeans [soybeans, water], flavour enhancer: [E621], salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper 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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 6921804720304, last edited 30 May 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.