Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Pot Noodle Beef & Tomato flavour ultra-processed?

90 g Instant noodle soups Sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France

Pack of Pot Noodle Beef & Tomato flavour

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:

  • 40 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed instant noodle soups

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

Noodle mix 95% (noodles 70%, WHEAT flour, contains calcium carbonate iron), niacin, thiamin, palm oil, salt, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates, maltodextrin, WHEAT flour, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, tomatoest 1.2%, sugar, peast, tomato powder 8%, salt, flavourings, palm fat, hydrolysed vegetable protein, onion powdert potato starch, citric acid, garlic, soy sauce (soybeans, wheat), sunflower oil, Sauce sachet 5% (Tomato sauce, water), spirit vinegar, tomato paste 18%, sugar, e Qurose syrup, salt, modified corn starch

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

Noodle mix (95%): Dried noodles (70%) [WHEAT flour (contains calcium carbonate iron, niacin, thiamin), palm oil, salt, firming agents (potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates), maltodextrin, WHEAT flour, yeast extract, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), tomatoest (1.2%), sugar, peast, tomato powder (08%), salt, flavourings, palm fat, hydrolysed vegetable protein (SOY), onion powdert potato starch, acid (citric acid), garlic, soy sauce (SOYBEANS, WHEAT), sunflower oil. Sauce sachet (5%): Tomato sauce [water, spirit vinegar, tomato paste' (18%), sugar, e Qurose syrup,salt, modified corn starch].

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.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • 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.

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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
6 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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 37 instant noodle soups

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 95% of the instant noodle soups 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 37 instant noodle soups, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000118203497, last edited 24 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.
  • 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.