Is Sainsbury's Chorizo ring ultra-processed?

Chorizos 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:

Dextrose
Glucose

19 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed chorizos

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

Pork, Paprika 4% (Paprika, Smoked Paprika), Salt (processing marker), Garlic, Dextrose (ultra-processing marker), Preservatives (processing marker) (Sodium Nitrite (processing marker)), Potassium Nitrate Antioxidant (Extracts of Rosemary), Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Filled into a natural pork casing, Made using 155g of pork per 100g of chorizo ring, Moisture is lost during the drying process, Advice (White crystals may form on the surface of the choriz These are naturally occurring and are not detrimental to the quality of the product, as-01-89 saial (ON))

Additives: E250 Sodium nitrite , E392 Extracts of rosemary

As written on the pack

Pork, Paprika (4%) (Paprika, Smoked Paprika), Salt, Garlic, Dextrose, Preservatives: Sodium Nitrite, Potassium Nitrate Antioxidant: Extracts of Rosemary; Sunflower Oil. Filled into a natural pork casing. Made using 155g of pork per 100g of chorizo ring. Moisture is lost during the drying process. Advice: White crystals may form on the surface of the choriz These are naturally occurring and are not detrimental to the quality of the product. as-01-89 saial (ON)

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

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.

E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 26 chorizos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 65% of the chorizos 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 chorizos, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00381437, last edited 30 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 E (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.