Is Really cheesy lentil puffs ultra-processed?

Appetizers Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Colour
Firming agent
Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E160c Paprika extract
E170 Calcium carbonates

19 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score B

Less processed appetizers

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

Red Lentil 58%, Rice, Rapeseed Oil, Cheese Flavour Seasoning 10% (Potato Maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Salt (processing marker), Flavourings (ultra-processing marker), Yeast Powder, Onion, Acid (Citric Acid), Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker)), Garlic, Sunflower Seed Oil (processing marker)), Firming Agent (ultra-processing marker) (Calcium Carbonate (ultra-processing marker))

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Red Lentil (58%), Rice, Rapeseed Oil, Cheese Flavour Seasoning (10%) (Potato Maltodextrin, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Salt, Flavourings, Yeast Powder, Onion Powder, Acid: Citric Acid; Colour: Paprika Extract; Garlic Powder, Sunflower Seed Oil), Firming Agent: Calcium Carbonate.

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.
E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Firming agent Firming agents keep fruit and vegetable tissue crisp or firm through processing and storage.
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.

Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.

3 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.

Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 2,498 appetizers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 2212th. 64% of the appetizers 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 2,498 appetizers, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5016451522300, 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 B (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.