Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Nissin Ramen Noodle Soup ultra-processed?

Noodles Sold in the United States

Pack of Nissin Ramen Noodle Soup

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:

  • 63 ingredients
  • 22 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed noodles

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

flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, salt, palm olein oil, contains less than 2% of spice, color, monosodium glutamate, shallot, green onion, red bell pepper, cabbage, soy sauce (wheat, soybean, salt, water), sugar, hydrolyzed soy protein, onion, lemongrass, coconut palm sap powder, garlic, green bean, autolyzed yeast extract, beef fat, garlic, lime juice, caramel color, glucose, silicon dioxide, corn syrup, dextrin, soy lecithin, sodium diacetate, lactose, sodium phosphate, citric acid, sodium tripolyphosphate, cilantro, baker's yeast, beef, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, natural and artificial flavor, tbhq (preservative), disodium succinate, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, tocopherol (preservative), beta carotene color, egg white, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium alginate, sodium benzoate (preservative)

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E150c Ammonia caramel , E211 Sodium benzoate , E262 Sodium acetates , E262ii Sodium diacetate , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E319 Tertiary-butylhydroquinone (tbhq) , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E363 Succinic acid , E401 Sodium alginate , E452 Polyphosphates , E452vi Sodium tripolyphosphate , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500i Sodium carbonate , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

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

As written on the pack

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, salt, palm olein oil, contains less than 2% of spice and color, monosodium glutamate, shallot, dried green onion, dried red bell pepper, dried cabbage flake, soy sauce (wheat, soybean, salt, water), sugar, hydrolyzed soy protein, onion powder, lemongrass, coconut palm sap powder, garlic powder, dried green bean, autolyzed yeast extract, beef fat, garlic, lime juice, caramel color, glucose, silicon dioxide, corn syrup, dextrin, soy lecithin, sodium diacetate, lactose, sodium phosphate, citric acid, sodium tripolyphosphate, cilantro flake, baker's yeast extract, powdered beef, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, natural and artificial flavor, tbhq (preservative), disodium succinate, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, tocopherol (preservative), beta carotene color, egg white, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium alginate, sodium benzoate (preservative).

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.

  • E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E401 Sodium alginate A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • 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.
  • E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids 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.
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  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.
  • Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 416 noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 403rd. 73% of the 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 416 noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070662096338, last edited 13 May 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.