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

340g Small cucumbers Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Gherkins

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed cucumbers

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

Gherkins (Gherkins, Water, Salt, Preservative (Potassium Metabisulphite)), Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Dried Onions, Mustard Seeds, Red Bell Peppers, Dill Seeds, Salt, Ginger Powder, Cinnamon Powder, JAR Recycle LID Recycle Parl C

Additives: E224 Potassium metabisulphite

As written on the pack

Gherkins (Gherkins, Water, Salt, Preservative: Potassium Metabisulphite (Sulphites)), Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Dried Onions, Mustard Seeds, Red Bell Peppers, Dill Seeds, Salt, Ginger Powder, Cinnamon Powder. Allergy advice: For allergens, see ingredients in bold. JAR Recycle LID Recycle Parl C

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.

Preservation and traditional processing

Keep food safe or ferment it, like preservatives and cultures. A sign of processing, not ultra-processing.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 8 small cucumbers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 25% of the small cucumbers 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 8 small cucumbers, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00286480, 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.