Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Red Pepper & Ricotta Pesto ultra-processed?

Pestos Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Red Pepper & Ricotta Pesto

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed 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

Red Peppers 36% (Red Peppers, Sugar, Salt, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid), Sunflower Oil, Ricotta Cheese (Cows' Milk), Tomato Paste, Glucose Powder, Onions, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grana Padano Cheese (Cows' Milk, Lysozyme), Pecorino Romano Cheese (Sheep's Milk), Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Paprika Extract, Lactic Acid, Chilli Pepper, Oregano, Flavouring

Additives: E1105 Lysozyme , E160c Paprika extract , E270 Lactic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid

As written on the pack

Marinated Red Peppers (36%) (Red Peppers, Sugar, Salt, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid; Antioxidant: Ascorbic Acid), Sunflower Oil, Ricotta Cheese (Cows' Milk) (15%), Tomato Paste, Glucose Powder, Onions, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Grana Padano Cheese (Cows' Milk, Preservative: Lysozyme (Egg)), Pecorino Romano Cheese (Sheep's Milk), Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Paprika Extract, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid; Chilli Pepper, Oregano, Flavouring.

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.
  • 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.
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 134 pestos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 126th. 51% of the 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 134 pestos, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00494687, last edited 8 August 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.