Is Patak's Tikka Masala Spice Paste ultra-processed?

Curry pastes Sold in the United Kingdom, Australia and 2 more countries

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E160c Paprika extract

19 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed curry pastes

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

Water, Spices 19% (Turmeric, Paprika 4%, Cumin 3%, Coriander 3%, Spices), Rapeseed Oil, Salt (processing marker), Maize Flour, Acids (Acetic Acid, Citric Acid), Tamarind, Garlic, Cumin Seed, Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker), Dried Fenugreek Leaf, Coriander Leaf

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E260 Acetic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Water, Ground Spices (19%) [Turmeric, Paprika (4%), Cumin (3%), Coriander (3%), Spices], Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Maize Flour, Acids (Acetic Acid, Citric Acid), Tamarind, Garlic Powder, Cumin Seed, Paprika Extract, Dried Fenugreek Leaf, Dried Coriander Leaf.

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.

E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.

1 ingredient 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 77 curry pastes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 56th. 43% of the curry pastes 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 77 curry pastes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5011308000994, last edited 12 March 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.