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Is Pot Noodle Chinese-Style Sticky Rib Flavour ultra-processed?

90 g Chinese noodles Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Pot Noodle Chinese-Style Sticky Rib 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:

  • 53 ingredients
  • 7 additives

Less processed chinese noodles

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

noodles 65% (wheat flour (contains calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), palm oil, salt, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates), maltodextrin, potato starch, wheat flour, sugar, flavourings, tomato powder, onion powder, red pepper, green pepper, salt, palm fat, monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, spices (ginger, cayenne pepper, aniseed, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seed, pepper, cloves), garlic, barley malt extract, chives, soy sauce (soybeans, wheat), sauce 4% (water, sugar, spirit vinegar, modified corn starch, salt, maltodextrin, spices, garlic powder, soy sauce (soybeans, wheat), acetic acid, anthocyanins)

Additives: E163 Anthocyanins , E260 Acetic acid , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

dried noodles 65% ( wheat flour (contains calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiamin), palm oil, salt, firming agents (potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates)), maltodextrin, potato starch, wheat flour, sugar, flavourings, tomato powder, onion powder, red pepper, green pepper, salt, palm fat, flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), spices (ginger, cayenne pepper, aniseed, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seed, pepper, cloves), garlic, barley malt extract, chives, soy sauce ( soybeans , wheat ), sauce 4% (water, sugar, spirit vinegar, modified corn starch, salt, maltodextrin, spices, garlic powder, soy sauce ( soybeans , wheat ), acid (acetic acid), colour (anthocyanins)),

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.

  • E163 Anthocyanins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of 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.
5 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 24 chinese noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 23rd. 71% of the chinese noodles 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 24 chinese noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8718114797977, last edited 15 August 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.