Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Old Wisconsin Turkey Sticks Smoked Sausage ultra-processed?

28 oz Turkey sausages Sold in the United States

Pack of Old Wisconsin Turkey Sticks Smoked Sausage

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed turkey sausages

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

turkey, turkey, contains 2% and less of (salt), corn syrup, solids, natural spices, dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, carrageenan, sodium erythorbate (made from sugar), garlic, sodium nitrite, in beef collagen casing

Additives: E250 Sodium nitrite , E316 Sodium erythorbate , E407 Carrageenan

As written on the pack

turkey, mechanically separated turkey, contains 2% or less of: salt, corn syrup, solids, natural spices, dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, carrageenan, sodium erythorbate (made from sugar), garlic powder, sodium nitrite, in beef collagen casing

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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
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.

  • E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 13 turkey sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 69% of the turkey sausages 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 13 turkey sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0073170327000, last edited 8 June 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.