Is Maya Kaimal Butter Masala Indian Simmer Sauce ultra-processed?

354 g Curry sauces Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring

24 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed curry sauces

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

water, buttermilk (cultured lowfat milk, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d3), tomato paste (fresh vine-ripened tomatoes), unsalted butter (processing marker) (cream, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), ginger, milk, cream, safflower oil (processing marker), spices (including paprika), evaporated cane sugar, sea salt (processing marker), garlic, tapioca starch (processing marker), lemon juice concentrate, cilantro, serrano chili, fenugreek leaves

As written on the pack

water, buttermilk (cultured lowfat milk, vitamin a palmitate, vitamin d3), tomato paste (fresh vine-ripened tomatoes), unsalted butter (cream, natural flavor), ginger, milk, cream, safflower oil, spices (including paprika), evaporated cane sugar, sea salt, garlic, organic tapioca starch, lemon juice concentrate, cilantro, serrano chili, fenugreek leaves.

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.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 89 curry sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 67% of the curry sauces 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 89 curry sauces, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0891756000211, last edited 6 June 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.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.