Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Mama Pa-Lo Duck Flavour ultra-processed?

55g Instant noodles Sold in the United States, Germany and Switzerland

Pack of Mama Pa-Lo Duck Flavour

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

noodles (wheat flour, palm oil, salt, sugar, acidity corrector e500, acidity corrector e501, thickener (e466), soy sauce), seasoning (salt, sugar, e621 taste enhancer, e635 taste enhancer, duck flavour, e150a colouring, leek), seasoning oil (palm oil, garlic), pepper

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E500 Sodium carbonates , E501 Potassium carbonates , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150a Plain caramel, E621 Monosodium glutamate, E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide.

As written on the pack

noodles (wheat flour, palm oil, salt, sugar, acidity corrector e500, acidity corrector e501, thickener e466, soy sauce) - seasoning (salt, sugar, e621 taste enhancer, e635 taste enhancer, duck flavour, e150a colouring, leek) - seasoning oil (palm oil, garlic) - pepper powder

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.

  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
  • 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.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 98th. 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 8850987123641, last edited 26 May 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.