Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Lidl Thai red curry paste ultra-processed?

Red curry pastes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Lidl Thai red curry paste

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:

  • 46 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed red curry pastes

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, Tomato Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Red Curry Paste 5% (Water, Sunflower Oil, Red Chillies, Salt, Ginger, Garlic, Galangal, Shallots, Lemongrass, Sugar, Kaffir Lime Peel, Coriander Seeds, Coriander Root, Cumin, Cardamom Seeds, Green Chilli Pepper, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)), Red Chillies 5%, Lemongrass 4%, Galangal, Modified Maize Starch, Garlic Purée 3%, Thai Fish Sauce (Anchovy, Salt, Sugar), Lime Leaves 3%, Sugar, Onions, Salt, Cumin, Colour (Paprika Extract), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Coriander, Chillies, Chilli, Stabiliser (Xanthan Gum), please see ingredients in bold

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

Water, Tomato Purée from Concentrate, Rapeseed Oil, 5% Red Curry Paste (Water, Sunflower Oil, Dried Red Chillies, Salt, Ginger, Garlic, Galangal, Shallots, Lemongrass, Sugar, Kaffir Lime Peel, Coriander Seeds, Coriander Root, Cumin, Cardamom Seeds, Green Chilli Pepper, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), 5% Red Chillies, 4% Lemongrass, Galangal, Modified Maize Starch, 3% Garlic Purée, Thai Fish Sauce (Anchovy Extract (Fish), Salt, Sugar), 3% Lime Leaves, Sugar, Onions, Salt, Ground Cumin, Colour Paprika Extract; Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Coriander, Dried Chillies, Chilli Powder, Stabiliser Xanthan Gum. Allergy Advice: For allergens, please see ingredients in bold.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.

  • 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 oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 14 red curry pastes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 57% of the red curry pastes 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 14 red curry pastes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 20015916, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.