Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Maggi 2 Minute Chicken Flavour Noodles ultra-processed?

Instant noodles Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Maggi 2 Minute Chicken Flavour Noodles

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 9 additives

Less processed instant noodles

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

noodle cake (wheat), flour 70%, palm oil salt, anti-caking potassium carbonate, sodium carlonate, thịckener (guar gum), humectant (sodium tripolyphosphate), flavour sachet (salt), flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), maltodextrin, potassium chloride, flavourings (with celery, wheat, soya), sugar, onion 3.26%, palm oil, herbs and spices (parsley 0.8%, turmeric, coriander, cumin 0.02%, cardamon, ginger, chilli pepper), colour (ammonia caramel)

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E412 Guar gum , E452 Polyphosphates , E452vi Sodium tripolyphosphate , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

noodle cake: wheat, flour (70%), palm oil salt, anti-caking potassium carbonate, sodium carlonate), thịckener (guar gum), humectant (sodium tripolyphosphate), flavour sachet: salt, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotides), maltodextrin, potassium chloride, flavourings (with celery, wheat, soya), sugar, onion powder (3,26%), palm oil, herbs and spices (parsley (0,8%), turmeric, coriander, cumin (0,02%), cardamon, ginger, chilli pepper), colour (ammonia caramel),

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.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E452 Polyphosphates 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.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Show 3 more
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 202nd. 93% of the instant noodles 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9556001255693, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.