Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Schwartz Creamy mild peppercorn sauce ultra-processed?

25 g Pepper sauces Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Schwartz Creamy mild peppercorn sauce

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:

  • 28 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed pepper sauces

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

Wheat Flour, with Calcium, Iron, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Modified Starch, Flavouring, Skimmed Milk Powder, Onion, Fat (Sunflower Oil, Lactose (from Milk), Milk Protein), Yeast Extract, Salt, Cream Powder 3% (from Milk), Green Bell Peppers 2.5%, Garlic 2%, Cracked Green Peppercorns 2%, Colour (Plain Caramel), Black Pepper, Protein Enriched Whey Powder (from Milk)

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E150a Plain caramel

As written on the pack

Wheat Flour (with Calcium, Iron, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Modified Starch, Flavouring, Skimmed Milk Powder, Onion Powder, Fat Powder (Sunflower Oil, Lactose (from Milk), Milk Protein), Yeast Extract, Salt, Cream Powder (3%)(from Milk), Dried Green Bell Peppers (2.5%), Garlic Powder (2%), Cracked Green Peppercorns (2%), Colour (Plain Caramel), Black Pepper, Protein Enriched Whey Powder (from Milk).

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.

  • Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 11 pepper sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 55% of the pepper sauces 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 11 pepper sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000225019394, 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.
  • 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.