Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Quorn southern fried bites ultra-processed?

300g Vegetarian nuggets Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Quorn southern fried bites

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed vegetarian nuggets

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

Mycoprotein 44%, Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower Vegetable Oils, Rapeseed Vegetable Oils), Free Range Egg White, Wheat Starch, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Wheat Protein, Yeast, Yeast Extract, Pea Fibre, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spices (Black Pepper, White Pepper, Fennel, Nutmeg), Sugar, Pectin, Citric Acid, Wheat Gluten, Black Pepper Extract

Additives: E263 Calcium acetate , E330 Citric acid , E440 Pectins , E509 Calcium chloride

As written on the pack

Mycoprotein (44%), Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin & Thiamine), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Rehydrated Free Range Egg White, Wheat Starch, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Wheat Protein, Yeast & Yeast Extract, Pea Fibre, Firming Agents: Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate; Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Spices (Black Pepper, White Pepper, Fennel, Nutmeg), Sugar, Gelling Agent: Pectin; Citric Acid, Wheat Gluten, Black Pepper Extract.

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.

  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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 26 vegetarian nuggets

From least to most processed, this one ranks 13th. 77% of the vegetarian nuggets 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 26 vegetarian nuggets, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5019503023817, last edited 26 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.