Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Balance ultra-processed?

Mixed cereal flakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Balance

It's processed, but not ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Whole foods combined with:

  • 22 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed extruded cereals

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

Rice 71%, Wheat 24%, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Salt, Niacin, Thiamin, Vitamin D, Iron, vitamins, vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, including cereals containing gluten, Also, not suitable for customers With an allergy to peanuts, nuts, milk, oats due to manufacturing methods, Great for au of us

As written on the pack

Rice (71%), Wheat (24%), Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Salt, Niacin, Thiamin, Vitamin D, Iron, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B6. Allergy advice: For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. Also, not suitable for customers With an allergy to peanuts, nuts, milk or oats due to manufacturing methods. Great for au of us

What makes it processed

Culinary ingredients

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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 15 mixed cereal flakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 7th. 47% of the mixed cereal flakes 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 15 mixed cereal flakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01827255, last edited 26 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.