Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Beef Casserole with Dumplings ultra-processed?

Microwave meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Beef Casserole with Dumplings

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:

  • 61 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

Water, Beef 20% (Beef, Cornflour, Salt, Black Pepper), Herb Dumplings 20% (Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Raising Agent (Disodium Diphosphate), Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate, Parsley, Salt, Thyme, White Pepper), Carrot, Onion, Swede, Beef Stock (Beef, Salt, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Tomato Purée, Water), Cornflour, Rapeseed Oil, Tomato Purée, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Garlic Purée, Worcester Sauce (Water, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Tamarind, Garlic, Onion, Ginger, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Clove, Chilli), Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Colour (Plain Caramel), Thyme, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Yeast Extract

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Water, Cooked Marinated Beef (20%) (Beef, Cornflour, Salt, Black Pepper), Herb Dumplings (20%) (Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil, Raising Agent: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate; Parsley, Salt, Thyme, White Pepper), Carrot, Onion, Swede, Beef Stock (Beef Juices, Salt, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Tomato Purée, Water), Cornflour, Rapeseed Oil, Tomato Purée, Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Garlic Purée, Worcester Sauce (Water, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Tamarind Extract, Garlic, Onion, Ginger, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Clove, Chilli), Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Colour: Plain Caramel; Thyme, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Yeast Extract.

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.

  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
5 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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 350 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 245th. 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 01190649, 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.