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Is Marks & Spencer Caramelised onion and chorizo scotch egg ultra-processed?

120g x 1 egg Appetizers Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Marks & Spencer Caramelised onion and chorizo scotch egg

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:

  • 65 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed appetizers

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

Boiled Egg 35%, Pork 30% (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Caramelised Red Onion Chutney 5% (Red Onions, Brown Sugar, White Wine Vinegar, Concentrated Apple Juice Cornflour, Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic Purée, Ginger, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Yellow Mustard Seeds, Preservative (e202), Salt), Rapeseed Oil, Chorizo Pork Sausage 3% (Pork 2.73%, Paprika, Salt, Milk, Dextrose, Antioxidant (e301), Nutmeg, Starter Culture, Dried Oregano, Preservative (Sodium Nitrite), Potassium Nitrate), Garlic Purée, Wheat Protein, Spices (Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Chilli), Onions, Chives, Tapioca Starch, Herbs (Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley), Salt, Dried Onions, Dried Tomatoes, Red Peppers, Dried Garlic, Emulsifier (e450), Egg White, Wheat Gluten, Paprika Extract, Flavouring, Yeast

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E202 Potassium sorbate , E250 Sodium nitrite , E252 Potassium nitrate , E301 Sodium ascorbate , E330 Citric acid , E450 Diphosphates

As written on the pack

Boiled Egg (35%) Pork (30%) Wheatflour contains Gluten (with Wheatflour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin) Caramelised Red Onion Chutney (5%) (Red Onions; Brown Sugar; White Wine Vinegar; Concentrated Apple Juice Cornflour; Balsamic Vinegar; Garlic Purée; Ginger Purée; Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Yellow Mustard Seeds; Preservative: E202; Salt) Rapeseed Oil; Chorizo Pork Sausage (3%) (Pork (91%) Ground Paprika; Salt; Dried Milk; Dextrose; Antioxidant: E301; Ground Nutmeg; Starter Culture; Dried Oregano; Preservative: Sodium Nitrite, Potassium Nitrate). Garlic Purée; Wheat Protein (contains Gluten); Ground Spices (Smoked Paprika, Black Pepper, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Chilli Powder); Onions; Chives; Tapioca Starch; Herbs (Sage; Thyme; Oregano; Parsley); Salt; Dried Onions; Dried Tomatoes; Dried Red Peppers; Dried Garlic; Emulsifier: E450; Dried Egg White; Dried Wheat Gluten; Paprika Extract; Flavouring; Yeast. For allergens see ingredients in bold.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • 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.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
8 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • E252 Potassium nitrate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • 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 2,497 appetizers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 2328th. 64% of the appetizers 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 2,497 appetizers, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 29250127, 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.