Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Mega Red ultra-processed?

155g Sardines in tomato sauce Sold in the United States and Germany

Pack of Mega Red

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:

  • 12 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed sardines in tomato sauce

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

Indian Oil Sardine, Water, Tomato paste, Modified corn starch, Salt, Sugar, Chili, Monosium Glutamate, Spices, Garlic, Onion, Xanthan gum

Additives: E415 Xanthan gum , E621 Monosodium glutamate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E621 Monosodium glutamate.

As written on the pack

Indian Oil Sardine (Fish), Water, Tomato paste, Modified corn starch, Salt, Sugar, Chili, Monosium Glutamate, Spices, Garlic, Onion, Xanthan gum

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.

  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
3 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 21 sardines in tomato sauce

From least to most processed, this one ranks 21st. 14% of the sardines in tomato sauce 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 21 sardines in tomato sauce, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0857451000314, last edited 22 August 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.