Is M&S Prawn Cocktail ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Gluten
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 49 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score C
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Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Prawns (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Lettuce 11%, Rapeseed Oil, King Prawns, Oatmeal, Salt (processing marker), Wheat Bran, Tomato Paste, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Brandy, Sugar (processing marker), Vinegar, Yeast (Yeast, Vitamin D Yeast), Lemon Juice, Cornflour, Wheatflour, Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (e471 (ultra-processing marker)), e472e (ultra-processing marker), Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Red Pepper Sauce (Vinegar, Red Peppers, Salt (processing marker)), Anchovies, Malted Barley Flour, Palm Oil, Vegetable Oil (processing marker) (Sunflower Vegetable Oil, Rapeseed Vegetable Oil), Mustard, Molasses (processing marker), Onion, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Mustard Seeds, Palm Fat, Tamarind Paste, Garlic Purée, Ginger, Cloves
Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
Prawns (Crustacean) (29%), Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Lettuce (11%), Rapeseed Oil. King Prawns (Crustacean) (4%) ,Oatmeal, Salt, Wheat Bran (contains Gluten), Tomato Paste, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Brandy ,Sugar, Vinegar, Yeast (Yeast. Vitamin D Yeast), Lemon Juice, Cornflour ,Dried Fermented Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Emulsifier: E471, E472e, Wheat Gluten, Red Pepper Sauce (Vinegar, Red Peppers, Salt), Anchovies (Fish), Malted Barley Flour (contains Gluten), Palm Oil, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower/Rapeseed), Dried Mustard. Molasses, Onion Purée, Flour Treatment Agent: Ascorbic Acid, Mustard Seeds, Palm Fat ,Tamarind Paste, Garlic Purée, Ginger Purée, Ground Cloves
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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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.
- Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
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.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.
Among 324 sandwiches
From least to most processed, this one ranks 177th. 82% of the sandwiches here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00298292, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.