Is it ultra-processed?
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Is McVitie's Fig Rolls ultra-processed?

200 g Biscuits Sold in the United Kingdom, Australia and France

Pack of McVitie's Fig Rolls

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed biscuits

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

Fig Paste 30%, Flour (Wheat Flour), Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm Vegetable Oil), Water, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Wheat Starch, Citric Acid, including cereals containing gluten, TR Do Rec www.123healthybalance.com

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Fig Paste (30%), Flour (Wheat Flour, 7g) Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Water, Salt, Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate), Wheat Starch, Acid (Citric Acid). For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. May also contain Nuts, Milk, Egg, Soya. TR Do Rec www.123healthybalance.com

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.

  • 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,514 biscuits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 504th. 83% of the biscuits 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 1,514 biscuits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000168134062, last edited 19 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.