Is Tesco Baking Block ultra-processed?

250g Vegetable fats Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Baking Block

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:

  • 11 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed vegetable fats

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

Vegetable Oils 75% (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Water, Salt 1%, Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Beta-Carotene (ultra-processing marker))

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Vegetable Oils 75% (Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Sunflower Oil), Water, Salt 1%, Emulsifier (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Flavouring, Colour (Beta-Carotene).

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 623 vegetable fats

From least to most processed, this one ranks 572nd. 35% of the vegetable fats 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 623 vegetable fats, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5052003768963, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.