Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Philadelphia Smoked Salmon ultra-processed?

7.5 oz Smoked salmons Sold in the United States

Pack of Philadelphia Smoked Salmon

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:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed smoked salmons

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

Pasteurized milk and cream, whey protein, smoked salmon, salt, yeast extract, sugar, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural smoke flavor, lactic acid, sorbic acid (as a preservative), color added, vitamin a palmitate, red 40, cheese culture

Additives: E129 Allura red , E200 Sorbic acid , E270 Lactic acid , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

Pasteurized milk and cream, whey protein concentrate, smoked salmon, salt, yeast extract, sugar, carob bean gum, guar gum, natural smoke flavor, lactic acid, sorbic acid (as a preservative), color added, vitamin a palmitate, red 40, cheese culture

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.

  • E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • 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.

  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
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.

  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" 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 41 smoked salmons

From least to most processed, this one ranks 41st. 17% of the smoked salmons 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 41 smoked salmons, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 02173108, last edited 9 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.