Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Squeaky bean Applewood smoked Ham ultra-processed?

80g Ham substitutes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Squeaky bean Applewood smoked Ham

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed meat analogues

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

water, vegetable protein 20% (wheat, PEA), wheat gluten, vegetable oil (sunflower vegetable oil, rapeseed vegetable oil), potato protein, pea protein, flavourings, preservative (potassium lactate), potassium acetate, gelling agent (agar), salt, dextrose, citrus fibre, demerara sugar, radish, acidity regulator (lactic acid), citric acid, yeast extract, cornflour, applewood smoked paprika, carrot concentrate, burnt sugar, onion, iron, zinc, vitamin b12

Additives: E261 Potassium acetate , E270 Lactic acid , E326 Potassium lactate , E330 Citric acid , E406 Agar

As written on the pack

WATER, VEGETABLE PROTEIN (20%) (WHEAT, PEA), WHEAT GLUTEN, VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER, RAPESEED), POTATO PROTEIN, PEA PROTEIN, FLAVOURINGS, PRESERVATIVE: POTASSIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM ACETATE; GELLING AGENT: AGAR; SALT, DEXTROSE, CITRUS FIBRE, DEMERARA SUGAR, RADISH CONCENTRATE, ACIDITY REGULATOR: LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID; YEAST EXTRACT, CORNFLOUR, APPLEWOOD SMOKED PAPRIKA, CARROT CONCENTRATE, BURNT SUGAR, ONION POWDER, IRON, ZINC, VITAMIN B12.

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.

  • E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
  • E406 Agar A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.

  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 8 ham substitutes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 100% of the ham substitutes 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 8 ham substitutes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010292967542, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.