Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Quorn Vegetarian Ham Slices ultra-processed?

170 g Ham substitutes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Quorn Vegetarian Ham Slices

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:

  • 12 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

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 74%, Free Range Egg White, Milk Proteins, Flavourings (contain Milk, Colour (Iron Oxide)), Pea Fibre, Humectant (Sorbitol), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate)

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E420 Sorbitol

As written on the pack

Mycoprotein (74%), Rehydrated Free Range Egg White, Milk Proteins, Flavourings (contain Milk, Colour: Iron Oxide), Pea Fibre, Humectant: Sorbitol; Preservative: Potassium Sorbate.

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.

  • E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

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.

  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • 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.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 8 ham substitutes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 7th. 100% of the ham substitutes 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 8 ham substitutes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5019503039917, 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.