Is it ultra-processed?
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Is M&S Tiramisu ultra-processed?

500g Pastries Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of M&S Tiramisu

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:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed pastries

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, Glucose Syrup, Mascarpone Cheese 10% (Cream, Milk, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid)), Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Coconut Oil, Wheatflour, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Egg, Marsala Wine 1.5%, Ethyl Alcohol, Stabiliser (Sorbitol), Cocoa Powder, Citrus Fibre, Thickener (Carrageenan), Instant Coffee, Emulsifier (e471), Flavourings, Coffee, Raising Agent (e500), e503, Salt

Additives: E1510 Ethanol , E270 Lactic acid , E407 Carrageenan , E420 Sorbitol , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E503 Ammonium carbonates

As written on the pack

Water, Glucose Syrup, Mascarpone Cheese (10%) (Cream (Milk), Milk, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid (Milk)), Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Coconut Oil, Wheatflour (contains Gluten), Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Pasteurised Egg, Marsala Wine (1.5%), Ethyl Alcohol, Stabiliser: Sorbitol, Cocoa Powder, Citrus Fibre, Thickener: Carrageenan, Instant Coffee, Emulsifier: E471, Flavourings, Coffee Extract, Raising Agent: E500, E503; Salt.

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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.

  • 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.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.

  • 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.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 205 pastries

From least to most processed, this one ranks 162nd. 87% of the pastries 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 205 pastries, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00858960, 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.