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Is Squeaky Bean Crispy Bacon Style Strips ultra-processed?

Meat analogues Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Squeaky Bean Crispy Bacon Style Strips

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:

  • 27 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

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, wheat gluten 16%, vegetable oil (rapeseed vegetable oil, sunflower vegetable oil), shea, methylcellulose, carrageenan, gum arabic, salt, tapioca starch, wheat flour, natural flavouring, yeast extract, maltodextrin, water, natural concentrate (radish, blackcurrant, apple), sugar, pea fibre, disodium diphosphate, citric acid, coconut oil, triacetin, fat reduced cocoa powder

Additives: E1518 Glyceryl triacetate , E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E414 Acacia gum , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN (16%), VEGETABLE OIL (RAPESEED, SUNFLOWER, SHEA), GELLING AGENTS: METHYLCELLULOSE, CARRAGEENAN, GUM ARABIC; SALT, TAPIOCA STARCH, WHEAT FLOUR, NATURAL FLAVOURING, YEAST EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN, SMOKED WATER, NATURAL CONCENTRATE (RADISH, BLACKCURRANT, APPLE), SUGAR, PEA FIBRE, ACIDITY REGULATORS: DISODIUM DIPHOSPHATE, CITRIC ACID; COCONUT OIL, EMULSIFIER: TRIACETIN, FAT REDUCED COCOA 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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose 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.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • 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.
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.

  • 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.
  • Vegetable fat Vegetable fats are oils that are solid at room temperature, such as palm or coconut fat.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 511 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 454th. 80% of the meat analogues 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 511 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010292973123, last edited 9 September 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.