Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Pot Noodle Original curry flavour ultra-processed?

90g Instant noodles Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Pot Noodle Original curry 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:

  • 47 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed instant 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

noodle mix 96% (noodles 64% (wheat flour, palm oil, salt, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates), maltodextrin, wheat flour, sugar, glucose syrup, carrots, peas 1%, sodium acetates, onion powder, palm fat, monosodium glutamate, curry powder (cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek seed, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, chilli, fennel seed), flavourings, salt, yeast extract, potato starch, potassium chloride, garlic powder, cheese powder), sauce sachet 4% (mango chutney suce, mango puree 88% (mango, sugar, salt, acetic acid, spices), water, spirit vinegar, modified corn starch, chilli)

Additives: E260 Acetic acid , E262 Sodium acetates , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501i Potassium carbonate , E508 Potassium chloride , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

noodle mix 96% [dried noodles 64% ( wheat flour, palm oil, salt, firming agents (potassium carbonate, sodium carbonates)), maltodextrin, wheat flour, sugar, glucose syrup, carrots, peas 1%, acidity regulator (sodium acetates), onion powder, palm fat, flavour enhancer (monosodium glutamate), curry powder (cumin, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek seed, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, chilli, fennel seed), flavourings, salt, yeast extract, potato starch, potassium chloride, garlic powder, cheese powder ( milk )], sauce sachet 4% [mango chutney suce (mango puree 88% (mango, sugar, salt, acetic acid, spices), water, spirit vinegar, modified corn starch, chilli powder]

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.
  • 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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 125th. 93% of the instant 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000118203480, last edited 26 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.