Is Merchant Gourmet Mediterranean Style Grains with Freekeh, Tomato & Olive ultra-processed?

250g Microwave meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E160c Paprika extract

28 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score A

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 Wheatberries 33% (Water, Wheatberries), Freekeh (Wheat, Water, Freekeh), Long Grain Brown Rice 17% (Water, Long Grain Brown Rice), Red Pepper 8%, Onions, Black Olives 4% (Black Olives, Salt (processing marker) (Ferrous Gluconate)), Tomato Paste 4%, Olive Oil (processing marker), Tomato Powder 2%, Garlic Purée, Basil, Lemon Juice, Salt (processing marker), Cornflour, Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker), Parsley, Thyme, Dried Oregano

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E579 Iron gluconate

As written on the pack

Cooked Wheatberries (33%) (Water, Wheatberries), Cooked Freekeh (Wheat) (17%) (Water, Freekeh), Cooked Long Grain Brown Rice (17%) (Water, Long Grain Brown Rice), Red Pepper (8%), Onions, Black Olives (4.0%) (Black Olives, Salt, Stabiliser [Ferrous Gluconate]), Tomato Paste (4.0%), Olive Oil, Tomato Powder (2.0%), Garlic Purée, Basil, Lemon Juice, Salt, Cornflour, Colour (Paprika Extract), Parsley, Thyme, Dried Oregano.

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.

E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.

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.

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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 351 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 137th. 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 5056215600561, last edited 9 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 A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.