Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Oxo Vegetable Stock Cubes ultra-processed?

1 cube, 6g Bouillon cubes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Oxo Vegetable Stock Cubes

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:

  • 20 ingredients
  • 1 additive

Less processed bouillon cubes

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

salt, potato starch, wheat flour (with added calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), monosodium glutamate, disodium 5, ribonucleotides, flavourings, palm oil, dried glucose syrup, yeast extract, dried tomato, herbs (parsley, thyme, bay), sugar

Additives: E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

salt, potato starch, wheat flour (with added calcium, iron, niacin, thiamin), flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium 5' - ribonucleotides), flavourings (contains celery ), palm oil, dried glucose syrup, yeast extract (contains barley ), dried tomato, dried herbs (parsley, thyme, bay), sugar

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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • 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.
  • Glucose syrup 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 bouillon cubes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 46th. 85% of the bouillon cubes 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 60 bouillon cubes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000175411217, last edited 20 September 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.