Is M&S Cod fillet ultra-processed?

Fish fillets Sold in Ireland

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E450 Diphosphates

13 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed fish fillets

Sweet cured hot smoked mackerel M&S 2 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Skinless & Boneless Mackerel Fillets in Tomato Sauce Nixe 4 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Mackerel in Sunflower oil The Fishmonger 5 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Pavés de saumon Rose du Pacifique Ocean Sea 1 ingredient · no additives NOVA group 1

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

Cod, Wheatflour* Rapeseed Oil Water Wheat Starch Palm Fat, Raising Agent (e450 (ultra-processing marker)), Sodium Bicarbonate, e503, Maize Flour Salt Sunflower Oil Dextrose, Wheat Gluten Yeast Ground Black Pepper, with Calcium, Iron, vitamins, vitamin B3, vitamin B1

Additives: E450 Diphosphates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E503 Ammonium carbonates

As written on the pack

Cod (Fish) (58%) Wheatflour* Rapeseed Oil Water Wheat Starch Palm Fat. Raising Agent: E450, Sodium Bicarbonate, E503. Maize Flour Salt Sunflower Oil Dextrose. Wheat Gluten Yeast Ground Black Pepper. *Fortified with Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B3 and B1.

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.

E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 174 fish fillets

From least to most processed, this one ranks 134th. 32% of the fish fillets 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 174 fish fillets, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 29119059, last edited 2 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.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.