Is Tempting Tomato Ketchup ultra-processed?

Tomato Ketchup Sold in the United States and India

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
E1422 Acetylated distarch adipate
E415 Xanthan gum

28 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed tomato Ketchup

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, sugar (processing marker), tomato paste 24.7% (28°b), edible common salt (processing marker), acidity regulator (acetic acid (e260)), emulsifying (ultra-processing marker) (and STABILIZING AGENT, e1422 (ultra-processing marker)), e415 (ultra-processing marker), onion, garlic, mixed spices (clove, cinnamon, chilli), preservative (processing marker) (sodium benzoate (e211), contains permitted class ii preservative (e211), tomato ketchup nutritional information a l n slu d per), PER SERVE 1 Tbsp, % rda per serve energy value (kcal), 150 02 f

Additives: E1422 Acetylated distarch adipate , E211 Sodium benzoate , E260 Acetic acid , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

WATER, SUGAR, TOMATO PASTE (28°B) 24.7%, EDIBLE COMMON SALT, ACIDITY REGULATOR ACETIC ACID (INS 260), EMULSIFYING & STABILIZING AGENT (INS 1422 & INS 415), ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER, MIXED SPICES (CLOVE, CINNAMON, CHILLI) PRESERVATIVE SODIUM BENZOATE (INS 211). CONTAINS PERMITTED CLASS II PRESERVATIVE (INS 211). TOMATO KETCHUP NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION A L N SLU D PER (100g) - PER SERVE 1 Tbsp (15g) % RDA PER SERVE ENERGY VALUE (kcal) 150 02 f

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.

E1422 Acetylated distarch adipate Acetylated distarch adipate is a chemically modified starch that holds up to heating, freezing and acidity, used to thicken sauces and fillings.
E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.

3 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 61 tomato Ketchup

From least to most processed, this one ranks 58th. 54% of the tomato Ketchup 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 61 tomato Ketchup, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8903553002809, last edited 16 February 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.