Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Specially Selected Coleslaw ultra-processed?

300g Coleslaw Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Specially Selected Coleslaw

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:

  • 23 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed coleslaw

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

Cabbage 43%, Mayonnaise 38% (Rapeseed Oil, Water, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Egg, Salt, Stabilisers (Guar Gum), Xanthan Gum, Mustard), Carrot 15%, Onion, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Stabilisers (Pectins), Egg White Powder

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E440 Pectins

As written on the pack

Cabbage (43%), Mayonnaise (38%) (Rapeseed Oil, Water, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Pasteurised Egg, Salt, Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum; Mustard Powder), Carrot (15%), Onion, Spirit Vinegar, Rapeseed Oil, Sugar, Salt, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate; Stabilisers: Pectins, Egg White Powder.

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.

  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
6 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 40 coleslaw

From least to most processed, this one ranks 31st. 90% of the coleslaw 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 40 coleslaw, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4088600075266, last edited 22 April 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.