Is Slimming World Free Food plus chicken carbonara ultra-processed?

Microwave meals 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:

Flavouring
Modified starch
E407 Carrageenan
E451 Triphosphates

46 ingredients
5 additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed microwave meals

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

Spaghetti 27% (water, durum wheat semolina), cooked seared chicken strips 16% (chicken breast 15.52%, modified tapioca starch (ultra-processing marker), sugar (processing marker), salt (processing marker), tapioca starch (processing marker), smoke flavouring (ultra-processing marker), yeast extract, garlic, dried parsley chicken, onion, white pepper, rosemary extract), water, mushrooms 10%, smoke flavour pork 5% (pork loin, water, salt (processing marker), stabilisers (triphosphates (ultra-processing marker), carrageenan (ultra-processing marker), sodium carbonates), antioxidants (sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid), smoke flavouring (ultra-processing marker)), celeriac, spinach, onion 5%, quark (processing marker) (skimmed milk soft cheese), cauliflower, medium-fat hard cheese (processing marker), extra-mature Cheddar cheese (processing marker), fat-free yogurt, garlic purée, yeast extract, maize starch (processing marker), lemon juice, salt (processing marker), flavouring (ultra-processing marker), white pepper

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E301 Sodium ascorbate , E392 Extracts of rosemary , E407 Carrageenan , E451 Triphosphates

As written on the pack

Spaghetti (27%) (water, durum wheat semolina), cooked seared chicken strips (16%) (chicken breast (97%), modified tapioca starch, sugar, salt, tapioca starch, smoke flavouring, yeast extract, garlic powder, dried parsley chicken, onion powder, white pepper, rosemary extract), water, mushrooms (10%), smoke flavour pork (5%) (pork loin, water, salt, stabilisers (triphosphates, carrageenan, sodium carbonates), antioxidants (sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid), smoke flavouring), celeriac (celery), spinach (5% onion, quark (skimmed milk soft cheese), cauliflower, medium-fat hard cheese (milk) (3%), extra-mature Cheddar cheese (milk) (2.5%), fat-free yogurt (milk), garlic purée, yeast extract (contains barley), maize starch, lemon juice, salt, flavouring, white pepper

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.

E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
E451 Triphosphates 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.
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.

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.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
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.
Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 351 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 280th. 72% of the microwave meals 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 351 microwave meals, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010482187545, 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.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of A (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.