Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsburys Plant pioneers Vegan Shawarma Spiced Kebabs ultra-processed?

264g Meat analogues Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 42 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed meat analogues

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, Butternut Squash, Aubergine, Red Pepper, Shawarma Style Seasoning (Sugar, Cornflour, Onion, Salt, Garlic, Cumin, Paprika, Parsley, Cinnamon, Chilli, Allspice, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Clove, Oregano, Paprika Extract), Textured Pea Protein, Pea Flour, Sustainable Palm Oil, Pea Fibre, Rice Flour, Gelling Agent (Processed Eucheuma Seaweed), Stabiliser (Methyl Cellulose), Pea Protein, Maize Flour, Yeast Extract, Parsley, Pea Starch, Dried Onion, Salt, Preservative (Sodium Metabisulphite), White Pepper, Maize Starch, Dextrose

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E407a Processed eucheuma seaweed , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Butternut Squash, Aubergine, Roasted Red Pepper, Shawarma Style Seasoning (Sugar, Cornflour, Onion Powder, Salt, Garlic Powder, Cumin, Paprika, Parsley, Cinnamon, Chilli, Allspice, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Clove, Oregano, Paprika Extract), Textured Pea Protein, Pea Flour, Sustainable Palm Oil, Pea Fibre, Rice Flour, Gelling Agent: Processed Eucheuma Seaweed; Stabiliser: Methyl Cellulose; Pea Protein, Maize Flour, Yeast Extract, Parsley, Pea Starch, Dried Onion, Salt, Preservative: Sodium Metabisulphite (Sulphites); White Pepper, Maize Starch, Dextrose.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E407a Processed eucheuma seaweed A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose 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.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.
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.

  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 512 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 418th. 80% of the meat analogues 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 512 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5063334002268, last edited 27 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • 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.