Is Morrisons British roast chicken breast ultra-processed?

Cooked chicken breast slices 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:

Gelling agent
E326 Potassium lactate
E407 Carrageenan
E450 Diphosphates
E451 Triphosphates
E452 Polyphosphates

13 ingredients
6 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed cooked chicken breast slices

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

Chicken 90%, Preservatives (processing marker) (potassium lactate (ultra-processing marker), sodium acetates), Salt (processing marker), Stabilisers (triphosphates (ultra-processing marker), diphosphates (ultra-processing marker), polyphosphates (ultra-processing marker)), Spirit vinegar, Gelling agent (ultra-processing marker) (carrageenan (ultra-processing marker)), Caramelised sugar syrup (processing marker)

Additives: E262 Sodium acetates , E326 Potassium lactate , E407 Carrageenan , E450 Diphosphates , E451 Triphosphates , E452 Polyphosphates

As written on the pack

Chicken (90%), Preservatives (potassium lactate, sodium acetates), Salt, Stabilisers (triphosphates, diphosphates, polyphosphates), Spirit vinegar, Gelling agent (carrageenan), Caramelised sugar syrup.

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.

E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
E451 Triphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
E452 Polyphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.

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.

Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 53 cooked chicken breast slices

From least to most processed, this one ranks 52nd. 85% of the cooked chicken breast slices 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 53 cooked chicken breast slices, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010525220277, last edited 24 July 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.