Is it ultra-processed?
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Is M&S Katsu Chicken Dragon Roll ultra-processed?

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Pack of M&S Katsu Chicken Dragon Roll

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:

  • 100 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Sushi Rice (Rice, Water, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Vegetable Oil, Rapeseed Vegetable Oil), Seaweed Extract), Katsu Chicken 15% (Chicken Breast 11.55%, Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Spices (Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, Coriander, Ginger, Cardamom, Cayenne Pepper, Turmeric), Wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch, Rice Flour, Salt, Yeast, Dried Garlic, Honey, Dried Onions, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Raising Agent (e503), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)), Red Peppers 4.5%, Carrots 4%, Water, Curry Paste (Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Vegetable Oil, Rapeseed Vegetable Oil), Mirin Rice Wine, Yeast Extract, Glucose Syrup, Concentrated Carrot Juice, Spices (Turmeric, Coriander, Fenugreek, Cumin, Ginger, Fennel, Caraway Seeds, Star Anise, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper), Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Salt, Dried Onions, Garlic Purée, Lemon Juice, Cornflour, Red Chillies, Bay Leaves), Fried Onions (Palm Oil, Wheatflour, Onions, Salt), Black Sesame, Rapeseed Oil, Coriander, Chives, Seaweed, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Cornflour, Rice Wine Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Egg, Egg, Flavouring, Mustard, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Colour (Paprika Extract)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E300 Ascorbic acid , E503 Ammonium carbonates

As written on the pack

Seasoned Cooked Sushi Rice (Rice, Water, Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower/Rapeseed), Seaweed Extract), Katsu Chicken (15%) (Chicken Breast (77%), Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Ground Spices (Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, Coriander, Ginger, Cardamom, Cayenne Pepper, Turmeric), Wheat Gluten, Wheat Starch, Rice Flour, Salt, Yeast, Dried Garlic, Dried Honey, Dried Onions, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Dextrose, Raising Agent E503, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid), Red Peppers (4.5%), Carrots (4%), Water, Curry Paste (Vegetable Oil (Sunflower/Rapeseed), Mirin Rice Wine, Yeast Extract, Glucose Syrup, Concentrated Carrot Juice, Ground Spices (Turmeric, Coriander, Fenugreek, Cumin, Ginger, Fennel, Caraway Seeds, Star Anise, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper), Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Salt, Vinegar), Salt, Dried Onions, Garlic Purée, Lemon Juice, Cornflour, Dried Red Chillies, Ground Bay Leaves), Fried Onions (Palm Oil, Wheatflour, Onions, Salt), Black Sesame Seeds, Rapeseed Oil, Coriander, Chives, Seaweed, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Cornflour, Rice Wine Vinegar, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Pasteurised Egg, Dried Egg, Flavouring, Mustard, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Colour: Paprika Extract.

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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
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.

  • Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
  • 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00305747, last edited 24 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.