Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's 2 Apple Strudels ultra-processed?

600g Pastries Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's 2 Apple Strudels

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:

  • 29 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed pastries

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

Apples 34%, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Margarine (Palm Fat, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Emulsifiers (mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids, Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid), Sodium Citrate, Palm Oil, Salt), Water, Apple Pulp 9%, Sugar, Sultanas 3%, Tapioca Starch, Maize Starch, Wheat Starch, Salt, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Cinnamon Powder, Thickeners (Sodium Alginate), Calcium Alginate, Dried Glucose Syrup

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E401 Sodium alginate , E404 Calcium alginate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Apples (34%), Wheat Flour, Vegetable Margarine (Palm Fat, Water, Rapeseed Oil, Emulsifiers: Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids; Acidity Regulators: Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate; Palm Oil, Salt), Water, Apple Pulp (9%), Sugar, Sultanas (3%), Tapioca Starch, Maize Starch, Wheat Starch, Salt, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Cinnamon Powder, Thickeners: Sodium Alginate, Calcium Alginate; Dried Glucose Syrup.

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.

  • E401 Sodium alginate A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E404 Calcium alginate A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • E475 Polyglycerol esters 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.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
4 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 205 pastries

From least to most processed, this one ranks 155th. 87% of the pastries 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 205 pastries, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01745801, last edited 5 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.