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Is Suma Vegan Meatballs in bolognese sauce ultra-processed?

400g Bolognese-style vegetarian sauces Sold in the United Kingdom and France

Pack of Suma Vegan Meatballs in bolognese 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:

  • 47 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed bolognese-style vegetarian 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

Water, Meatballs 20% (Textured Soya Protein, Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Soya Protein Isolate, Sea Salt, thickeners (methyl cellulose), carrageenan, potato starch, natural flavouring, Yeast, Spices, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Onion, Yeast Extract, Garlic), Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Purée, Red Peppers, Modified Maize Starch, Onion, Vegetable Bouillon (Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract, Dried Vegetables, Vegetable Juices, 0nion, Carrot, Parsnip, Mushroom, Pumpkin), Sunflower Oil, Turmeric, Parsley, Lovage, Garlic, Fennel seeds, Marjoram, Oregano, Basil, Garlic Purée, Black Pepper, Salt

Additives: E407 Carrageenan , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Vegan Meatballs (20%) (Rehydrated Textured Soya Protein, Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Soya Protein Isolate, Sea Salt, thickeners : methyl cellulose, carrageenan; potato starch, natural flavouring, Dried Yeast, Spices, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder), Chopped Tomatoes, Tomato Purée, Red Peppers, Modified Maize Starch, Rehydrated Onion, Vegetable Bouillon (Rice Flour, Sea Salt, Yeast Extract, Dried Vegetables & Concentrated Vegetable Juices [0nion, Carrot, Parsnip, Mushroom, Pumpkin), Sunflower Oil, Turmeric, Parsley, Lovage, Garlic, Fennel seeds), Marjoram, Oregano, Basil, Garlic Purée, Black Pepper, Salt.

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.
  • 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.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.
  • 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.
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.
  • 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 9 bolognese-style vegetarian sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 67% of the bolognese-style vegetarian 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 9 bolognese-style vegetarian sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5017601042471, last edited 19 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.