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Is M&S Collection Mini Mince Pies ultra-processed?

246g Christmas foods and drinks Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of M&S Collection Mini Mince Pies

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:

  • 66 ingredients
  • 8 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed christmas foods and drinks

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

Mincemeat, Sultanas, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Apple Purée, Vostizza Currants, Sugar, Glacé Cherries (Cherries, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Natural Colour (Anthocyanins (from Black Carrots)), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)), Cranberries, Clementine, Rapeseed Oil, Raisins, Cornflour, Mixed Peel (Orange Peel, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Lemon Peel, Sugar, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)), Cognac, Brandy, Humectant (Glycerol Cider), Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Black Pepper), Preservative (Acetic Acid), Black Treacle, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Gelling Agent (Pectin), Orange Oil, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid, with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Unsalted Butter, Sugar (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Semolina, Dextrose, Salt, Raising Agent (e450), Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornflour, Shea Oil, Caramelised sugar

Additives: E163 Anthocyanins , E260 Acetic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid , E440 Pectins , E450 Diphosphates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: Vegetable fat.

As written on the pack

Mincemeat (Sultanas, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Apple Purée, Vostizza Currants, Sugar, Glacé Cherries (Cherries, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Natural Colour: Anthocyanins (from Black Carrots) , Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), Cranberries, Concentrated Clementine Juice, Rapeseed Oil , Raisins, Cornflour ,Mixed Peel (Orange Peel, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Lemon Peel, Sugar, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), Cognac , Brandy, Humectant: Glycerol Cider, Ground Spices (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Black Pepper), Preservative: Acetic Acid, Black Treacle, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid, Gelling Agent: Pectin (from Fruit), Orange Oil, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid), Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Unsalted Butter (Milk) Sugar, Wildfarmed Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Wheat Semolina (contains Gluten), Dextrose, Salt, Raising Agent: E450, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornflour, Shea Oil, Caramelised sugar

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.

  • E163 Anthocyanins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.
  • Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
6 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.

  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 35 christmas foods and drinks

From least to most processed, this one ranks 34th. 83% of the christmas foods and drinks 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 35 christmas foods and drinks, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00960328, last edited 13 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.