Is Tesco Breaded Chunky Cod Fillets ultra-processed?

Breaded fish Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Glucose
Glucose syrup
Milk proteins

22 ingredients
3 additives

Less processed breaded fish

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

Cod, Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Salt (processing marker), Wheat Starch (processing marker), Yeast, Sugar (processing marker), Rice Flour, Mustard, Yeast Extract, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium Phosphate), Palm Oil, Garlic, Onion, Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Pepper Extract, Glucose Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Milk Proteins (ultra-processing marker), including cereals containing gluten

Additives: E341 Calcium phosphates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Cod (Fish) (65%), Wheat Flour, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Salt, Wheat Starch, Yeast, Sugar, Rice Flour, Mustard Powder, Yeast Extract, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium Phosphate), Palm Oil, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sunflower Oil, Pepper Extract, Glucose Syrup, Milk Proteins. Allergy Advice For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold.

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.

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 163 breaded fish

From least to most processed, this one ranks 117th. 77% of the breaded fish 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 163 breaded fish, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5051008512267, 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.