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Is Marks & Spencers Best Ever Chicken Tikka Masala ultra-processed?

Microwave meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Marks & Spencers Best Ever Chicken Tikka Masala

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:

  • 68 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed microwave meals

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

Cooked Basmati Rice (Water, Basmati Rice), Chicken Breast 30%, Single Cream, Coconut Milk (Coconut, Water), Onions 7%, Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Ginger, Garlic Purée, Low Fat Yogurt, Yogurt, Butter, Cornflour, Cranberries (Sugar, Cranberries), Spices (Coriander, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric, Chilli, Cinnamon, Cumin, Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Green Cardamom, Cloves), Red Chillies, Cane Sugar, Salt, Lime Juice, Coriander, Cumin Seeds, Wheatflour, Smoked Salt, Demerara Sugar, Garam Masala (Coriander, Roasted Sweet Cinnamon (Cassia), Roasted Cumin Black Pepper, Green Cardamom, Mace, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Ginger, Fennel, Cloves, Nutmeg, Bay Leaves, Star Anise), Black Cardamom, Paprika Extract, Fenugreek Leaves, Fennel Seeds, Green Cardamom, Bay Leaves, Cracked Black Pepper, Cloves, Saffron, with Calcium, Iron, vitamins, vitamin B3, vitamin B1

Additives: E160c Paprika extract

As written on the pack

Cooked Basmati Rice (Water, Basmati Rice) (31%), Smoked Chicken Breast (30%), Single Cream (Milk) (9%), Coconut Milk (Coconut Extract, Water), Onions (7%), Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Ginger Purée, Garlic Purée, Low Fat Yogurt (Milk), Yogurt (Milk), Butter (Milk), Cornflour, Sweetened Dried Cranberries (Sugar, Cranberries), Ground Spices (Coriander, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Cinnamon, Cumin, Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Green Cardamom, Cloves), Red Chillies, Cane Sugar, Salt, Lime Juice, Coriander, Cumin Seeds, Wheatflour, Smoked Salt, Demerara Sugar, Ground Garam Masala (Roasted Coriander, Roasted Sweet Cinnamon (Cassia), Roasted Cumin Black Pepper, Green Cardamom, Mace, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom Seeds, Ginger, Fennel, Cloves, Nutmeg, Bay Leaves, Star Anise), Whole Black Cardamom Seeds, Natural Colour: Paprika Extract, Fenugreek Leaves, Fennel Seeds, Whole Green Cardamom, Ground Bay Leaves, Cracked Black Pepper, Cloves, Saffron, Fortified with Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B3 and B1.

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.

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.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 351 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 135th. 72% of the microwave meals 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 351 microwave meals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 29421053, last edited 7 September 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.