Is Sainsbury's Pesto ultra-processed?

Green pestos 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:

Vegetable fiber

23 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed green pestos

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

Basil 53%, Olive oil (processing marker), Extra Virgin Olive Oil (processing marker) 6%, Pecorino Romano cheese (processing marker) (Sheep's Milk), Pine Nuts 4%, Vegetable Fibre (ultra-processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Parmagiano Reggiano Cheese (cow's Milk), Potato starch (processing marker), Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Garlic Puree (garlic, salt (processing marker), acidity regulators (lactic acid), citric acid), basil extract, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid)

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Basil (53%), Olive oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (6%), Pecorino Romano cheese (Sheep's Milk) (5%), Pine Nuts (4%), Vegetable Fibre, Sugar, Salt, Parmagiano Reggiano Cheese (cow's Milk) (1%), Potato starch, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid; Garlic Puree (garlic, salt, acidity regulators: lactic acid; citric acid), basil extract, Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid.

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.

Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.

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.

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.
Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 79 green pestos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 58th. 49% of the green pestos 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 79 green pestos, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00374743, last edited 3 April 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.