Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Quorn Sweet chilli bites ultra-processed?

Meat analogues Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Quorn Sweet chilli 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:

  • 47 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed meat analogues

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 38%, Sauce Filling 17% (Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Water, Chilli Puree, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Cornflour, Rapeseed Oil, Garlic, Salt, Flavouring (Salt, Garlic Extract), Garlic, Paprika Extract, Chilli), Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamine), Water, Rapeseed Oil, Textured Wheat Protein, Onion, Tapioca Starch, Flavourings, Free Range Egg White, Salt, Yeast Extract, Yeast, Onion, Spices (black pepper, white pepper), Preservative (potassium sorbate), gelling agent (pectin), raising agent (ammonium carbonate), black pepper Extract

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E202 Potassium sorbate , E440 Pectins , E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503i Ammonium carbonate

As written on the pack

Mycoprotein (38%), Sauce Filling (17%) [Partially Inverted Sugar Syrup, Water, Chilli Puree, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Gelling Agent: Pectin; Cornflour, Rapeseed Oil, Dehydrated Garlic, Salt, Flavouring (Salt, Garlic Extract), Garlic Powder, Paprika Extract, Chilli Flakes], Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Folic Acid, Thiamine), Water, Rapeseed Oil, Textured Wheat Protein, Onion, Tapioca Starch, Flavourings, Free Range Egg White Powder, Salt, Yeast Extract, Yeast, Onion Powder, Spices (black pepper, white pepper) Preservative: potassium sorbate, gelling agent: pectin, raising agent: ammonium carbonate, 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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • 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.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.

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.

  • Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.
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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 511 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 357th. 80% of the meat analogues 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 511 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5019503041880, last edited 30 May 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.