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Is Pukka Veggie cheese, leek & potato pie ultra-processed?

Pies Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Pukka Veggie cheese, leek & potato pie

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed pies

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

Wheat Flour (Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Water, Margarine (contains (Palm, Rapeseed Fats, Oils), Water, Salt), Potato 10%, Whole Milk, Cheese Blend 8.5% (contains (Extra Mature Cheddar, Medium Fat Hard Cheese)), Leeks 4%, Onion, Spinach 2%, Double Cream, Modified Maize Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Yeast Extract, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Garlic Puree, White Pepper, Thyme, Butter, Wheat Protein

Additives: E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour (contains: Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Water, Margarine (contains: Palm & Rapeseed Fats & Oils, Water, Salt), Potato (10%), Whole Milk, Cheese Blend (8.5%) (contains: Extra Mature Cheddar & Medium Fat Hard Cheese (Milk)), Sliced Leeks (4%), Onion, Chopped Spinach (2%), Double Cream (contains: Milk), Modified Maize Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Yeast Extract, Flavour Enhancer: Monosodium Glutamate, Garlic Puree, White Pepper, Thyme, Butter (contains: Milk), Wheat Protein

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.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • 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.

  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 101 pies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 47th. 76% of the pies 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 101 pies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5030756005917, 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.