Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Plant Menu Soft Spread ultra-processed?

170 g Plant-based spreads Sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Pack of Plant Menu Soft Spread

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed plant-based spreads

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, coconut oil 24%, tapioca starch, modified potato starch, gram flour, salt, maize starch, sugar, calcium citrates, citric acid, lactic acid, sodium lactate, flavourings, garlic, modified maize starch, carrageenan, guar gum, parsley, garlic powder, soya protein, spirit vinegar, dried basil

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E325 Sodium lactate , E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

water, coconut oil (24%), tapioca starch, modified potato starch, gram flour, salt, maize starch, sugar, calcium citrates, acidity regulators: citric acid, lactic acid, sodium lactate, flavourings, garlic granules, modified maize starch, thickeners: carrageenan, guar gum, dried parsley, garlic powder, soya protein concentrate, spirit vinegar, dried basil,

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.

  • E325 Sodium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.

  • 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,375 plant-based spreads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1330th. 51% of the plant-based spreads 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 1,375 plant-based spreads, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600573489, last edited 27 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.