Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Richmond bacon rashers meat free ultra-processed?

Meat alternatives Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Richmond bacon rashers meat free

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:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed meat alternatives

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

Water, soya 29%, WHEAT Protein 29% (Water, SOYA Protein, WHEAT Protein, Salt, SOYA Bean Oil, Natural Flavouring), Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed Vegetable Oils, Sunflower Vegetable Oils), Stabilisers (Carrageenan), Guar Gum, Methyl Cellulose, WHEAT Protein 5%, SOYA Protein 3%, Salt, Natural Flavourings, Colouring Foods (Blackcurrant), Radish, Apple, Dextrose, Smoke Flavouring, Starch, Potato Fibre, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E412 Guar gum , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Rehydrated Textured SOYA and WHEAT Protein (29%) (Water, SOYA Protein, WHEAT Protein, Salt, SOYA Bean Oil, Natural Flavouring), Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and/or Sunflower), Stabilisers: Carrageenan, Guar Gum, Methyl Cellulose; WHEAT Protein (5%), SOYA Protein (3%), Salt, Natural Flavourings, Colouring Foods: Blackcurrant, Radish, Apple; Dextrose, Smoke Flavouring, Starch, Potato Fibre, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid.

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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • 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.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.
  • Soya An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 698 meat alternatives

From least to most processed, this one ranks 649th. 72% of the meat alternatives 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 698 meat alternatives, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000342000466, last edited 13 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.