Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Rustlers The Essential Cheese Burger ultra-processed?

166 g Microwave meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Rustlers The Essential Cheese Burger

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:

  • 62 ingredients
  • 10 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed microwave meals

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

Burger Bun (Wheat Flour, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Yeast, Preservative (e282), Emulsifier (e472e), Antioxidant (e300)), Beef Burger 40% (Beef, Rice Flakes, Soya Protein, Preservative (e326), Wheat Flour, Potato Fibre, Salt, Dextrose, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Hydrolysed Soya Maize Protein, Barley Malt Extract, Flavouring), Tomato Relish (Tomato Puree, Sugar, Tomato, Gherkins, Onion, Spirit Vinegar, Cornflour, Salt, Mustard Seeds, Garlic Puree, Red Pepper, Mustard, Lemon Juice, Acidity Regulator (e330)), Cheese (Cheese, Water, Skimmed Milk Powder, Whey Powder, Butter, Emulsifying Salts (e331), e339, e452 Flavouring, Milk Protein, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Colours (e160a), e160c, Acidity Regulator (e330))

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160c Paprika extract , E282 Calcium propionate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E326 Potassium lactate , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E339 Sodium phosphates , E452 Polyphosphates , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E452 Polyphosphates.

As written on the pack

Burger Bun [Wheat Flour, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Yeast, Preservative: E282; Emulsifier: E472e; Antioxidant: E300]. Beef Burger (40%) [Beef, Rice Flakes, Soya Protein, Preservative: E326; Wheat Flour, Potato Fibre, Salt, Dextrose, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Hydrolysed Soya Maize Protein, Barley Malt Extract, Flavouring]. Tomato Relish [Tomato Puree, Sugar, Tomato, Gherkins, Onion, Spirit Vinegar, Cornflour, Salt, Mustard Seeds, Garlic Puree, Dried Red Pepper, Mustard Flour, Lemon Juice, Acidity Regulator: E330]. Processed Cheese Slice [Cheese (Milk), Water, Skimmed Milk Powder, Whey Powder (Milk), Butter (Milk), Emulsifying Salts: E331, E339, E452 Flavouring (Milk), Milk Protein, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Colours: E160a, E160c; Acidity Regulator: E330]

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
  • E452 Polyphosphates 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.
  • E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 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.
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  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • 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.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
  • 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.
8 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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 350 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 347th. 72% of the microwave meals 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 350 microwave meals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5099556026423, last edited 18 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.