Is Sainsburys chilli pesto ultra-processed?

Red pestos Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Colour
E160c Paprika extract

29 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed red pestos

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

Red Peppers 40%, Vegetable Oil (processing marker) (Sunflower, Refined Soyabean, Corn, Oil (Rapeseed Oil, Olive Oil)), Tomato Purée 21%, Parsley, Pecorino Romano Cheese (processing marker) (Sheep's Milk), Sugar (processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Sundried Tomatoes 1.3%, Paprika Powder, Cashew Nuts Pine Nuts, Chilli 0.4%, Acidity Regulators (Lactic Acid), Citric Acid, Garlic, Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker)), Oregano, Basil, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Black Pepper

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E270 Lactic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Red Peppers (40%), Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Refined Soyabean, Corn, Rapeseed or Olive Oil), Tomato Purée (21%), Parsley, Pecorino Romano Cheese (Sheep's Milk) (2%), Sugar, Salt, Partially Rehydrated Sundried Tomatoes (1.3%), Paprika Powder, Cashew Nuts Pine Nuts, Chilli Flakes (0.4%), Acidity Regulators: Lactic Acid, Citric Acid; Garlic Powder, Colour: Paprika Extract; Oregano, Basil, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid; Black Pepper

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.

E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

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.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 26 red pestos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 25th. 42% of the red pestos 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 26 red pestos, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00135443, last edited 27 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
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.