Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Lamb shanks ultra-processed?

Lamb meat Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Lamb shanks

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:

  • 31 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed lamb meat

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

Lamb Shank 68.0672268907563%, Lamb Gravy with Rosemary 15.966386554621849%, Mint 15.966386554621849% (Red Wine, Roast Lamb Stock (Water, Lamb Bone, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar), Red Wine Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, Onion, Water, Cornflour, Tomato Purée, Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar, Mint, Rosemary, Garlic Purée, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Onion, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Vegetable Oil, Rapeseed Vegetable Oil), Maize Starch, Wheat Flour, Xanthan Gum, Black Pepper)

Additives: E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

Lamb Shank (81%), Lamb Gravy with Rosemary & Mint (19%) (Red Wine, Roast Lamb Stock (Water, Lamb Bone, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sugar), Red Wine Vinegar, Cider Vinegar, Onion, Water, Cornflour, Tomato Purée, Sugar, Dark Brown Sugar, Mint, Rosemary, Garlic Purée, Caramelised Sugar Syrup, Onion Powder, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Rapeseed), Maize Starch, Wheat Flour, Xanthan Gum, 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.

  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 11 lamb meat

From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 45% of the lamb meat 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 11 lamb meat, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00299909, last edited 5 June 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.