Is Momofuku tingly chili noodles ultra-processed?

Instant noodles 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
Glucose
E150c Ammonia caramel

23 ingredients
2 additives

Less processed instant noodles

Instant Noodles Casserole Beef Flavour Thai Preserved Food Factory Co. Ltd. 18 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
organic RAMEN NOODLES Ocean's Halo 3 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Asian vegetable Koyo 13 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Rice Vermicelli Wai Wai 2 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1

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

Wheat Flour, Water, Salt (processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Soybean Oil (processing marker), Soybeans, Wheat, Chili Paste, Pepper, Yeast Extract, Spices, Glucose (ultra-processing marker), Caramel Color, Sesame Oil (processing marker), Dried Onions, Sichuan Peppercorns, Cabbage, Dried Garlic, Dried Carrot, Tomato Puree, Natural Flavors (ultra-processing marker), Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil (processing marker), Malic Acid

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E296 Malic acid

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour, Water, Salt, Sugar, Soybean Oil, Soybeans, Wheat, Chili Paste, Pepper, Yeast Extract, Spices, Dried Glucose, Caramel Color, Sesame Oil, Dried Onions, Sichuan Peppercorns, Dried Cabbage, Dried Garlic, Dried Carrot, Tomato Puree, Natural Flavors, Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil, Malic Acid. CONTAINS: Wheat, Soy, Sesame.

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.

E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

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.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 54th. 93% of the instant noodles 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0193937000318, last edited 23 January 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.