Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Maggi 2-minute Noodles ultra-processed?

Instant noodles Sold in the United States and India

Pack of Maggi 2-minute 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:

  • 35 ingredients
  • 5 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

refined wheat flour, palm oil, iodised salt, wheat gluten, potassium chloride, guar gum, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, onion, coriander, turmeric powder, red chili, garlic, cumin, aniseed, ginger powder, fenugreek, black pepper, clove, green cardamom, nutmeg, hydrolysed groundnut protein, sugar, palm oil, starch, iodised salt, potassium chloride, disodium ribonucleotides, onion, acidity regulator, citric acid, caramel color, mineral, wheat gluten

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E452 Polyphosphates , E452vi Sodium tripolyphosphate

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

As written on the pack

refined wheat flour, palm oil, iodised salt, wheat gluten, potassium chloride, guar gum, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, onion powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garlic powder, cumin powder, aniseed powder, ginger powder, fenugreek powder, black pepper powder, clove powder, green cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, hydrolysed groundnut protein, sugar, palm oil, starch, iodised salt, potassium chloride, disodium ribonucleotides, toasted onion flakes, acidity regulator, citric acid, caramel color, mineral, wheat gluten

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.

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.
3 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 76th. 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 0941458000290, last edited 14 April 2025), 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.