Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Vegetable Stock Cubes ultra-processed?

100 g Vegetable bouillon cubes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Vegetable Stock Cubes

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 1 additive

Less processed bouillon cubes

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

Salt, Palm Oil, Yeast Extract, Hydrolysed Soya Protein, Corn Starch, Sugar, Flavourings, Celeriac, Tomato 1.4%, Celery Powder 1%, Onion 0.4%, Leek 0.3%, Turmeric, Antioxidant (Rosemary Extracts)

Additives: E392 Extracts of rosemary

As written on the pack

Salt, Palm Oil, Yeast Extract, Hydrolysed Soya Protein, Corn Starch, Sugar, Flavourings (Celery), Celeriac Powder (Celery) (2%), Tomato Powder (1.4%), Celery Powder (1%), Onion Powder (0.4%), Leek Powder (0.3%), Turmeric, Antioxidant: Rosemary Extracts.

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.

  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.

  • 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 10 vegetable bouillon cubes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 2nd. 90% of the vegetable bouillon cubes 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 10 vegetable bouillon cubes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 01787573, 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.