Is Sainsbury's Nice biscits ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Flavouring
- Glucose
- Glucose syrup
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 19 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed biscuits
-
Whole wheat cereal with added vitamins and iron. 12 Biscuits
Weetabix
10 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Fruit & Seed Oatcakes
Nairn's
9 ingredients · 2 additives
NOVA group
3
-
Shortbread Fingers
Walker’s
9 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Cheese Oatcakes
Nairn's
5 ingredients · 2 additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Sugar (processing marker), Desiccated Coconut 6%, Glucose Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Raising Agents (Ammonium Bicarbonate), Sodium Bicarbonate, Sea Salt (processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), Also), not suitable for customers with an allergy to milk due to manufacturing methods
Additives: E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503ii Ammonium hydrogen carbonate
As written on the pack
Fortified Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Sugar, Desiccated Coconut (6%), Glucose Syrup, Raising Agents: Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate; Sea Salt, Flavouring, Emulsifier: Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids. Allergy advice: Contains gluten. Also, not suitable for customers with an allergy to milk due to manufacturing methods.
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.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
3 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.
Among 1,514 biscuits
From least to most processed, this one ranks 1000th. 83% of the biscuits here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00430234, 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.