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Is Marks & Spencers Chargrilled vegetable pasta bake ultra-processed?

Pasta dishes Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Marks & Spencers Chargrilled vegetable pasta bake

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:

  • 32 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed pasta dishes

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 Pasta 44% (Durum Wheat Semolina, Water), Water, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes 8%, Peppers 4.5%, Mozzarella Cheese, Courgettes 3.5%, Pesto Sauce 2.5% (Rapeseed Oil, Pecorino Cheese, Basil, Pine Kernels, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Garlic Purée, Salt), Rapeseed Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Onions, Garlic Purée, Red Wine Vinegar, Basil, Salt, Paprika, Stabiliser (Pectin), Cornflour, Coarse Black Pepper, Parsley

Additives: E440 Pectins

As written on the pack

Cooked Pasta (44%) (Durum Wheat Semolina (contains Gluten), Water), Water, Tomato Paste, Tomatoes (8%), Peppers (4.5%), Mozzarella Cheese (Milk), Courgettes (3.5%), Pesto Sauce (2.5%) (Rapeseed Oil, Pecorino Cheese (Milk), Basil, Pine Kernels, Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Roasted Garlic Purée, Salt), Rapeseed Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Red Onions, Garlic Purée, Red Wine Vinegar, Basil, Salt, Paprika Flakes, Stabiliser: Pectin, Cornflour, Coarse Black Pepper, Parsley.

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.

  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
5 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 544 pasta dishes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 217th. 72% of the pasta dishes 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 544 pasta dishes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00487245, last edited 14 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.