Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Orange Squash 4X ultra-processed?

1.5L Squash Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Orange Squash 4X

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:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 8 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed squash

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

Water, Orange Comminute From Concentrate 40%, Acid (Citric Acid), Flavourings, Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate), Sweeteners (Sucralose), Acesulfame K, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate), Sodium Metabisulphite, Stabiliser (Carboxymethylcellulose Colour), Beta-carotene

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E202 Potassium sorbate , E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E950 Acesulfame k , E955 Sucralose

As written on the pack

Water, Orange Comminute From Concentrate (40%), Acid: Citric Acid; Flavourings, Acidity Regulator: Sodium Citrate; Sweeteners: Sucralose, Acesulfame K; Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite (Sulphites); Stabiliser: Carboxymethylcellulose Colour:Beta-carotene.

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E950 Acesulfame k Acesulfame K is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, often combined with aspartame or sucralose.
  • E955 Sucralose Sucralose is a sweetener made by chlorinating sugar.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
2 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate 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.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 20 squash

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 65% of the squash 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 20 squash, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00464543, 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.