Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Chicken Nuggets ultra-processed?

Chicken nuggets Sold in the United Kingdom

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:

  • 29 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed chicken nuggets

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

chicken 58%, wheat flour, wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiaminl, water, rapeseed oil, pea fibre, wheat starch, salt, yeast, yeast extract, dextrose, sugar, garlic, onion, paprika, sage, white pepper, made using british and eu chicken, including cereals containing gluten, our promise *** we make every effort to ensure our products are best possible quality, that's why we are happy and replace any tesco product which doesnt your expectations, just ask this does not affect vour statutory righ mjormation please visit tescocom we are here to help (freephone 0800 50 55 55), mon-sat, 9am-6pm

As written on the pack

chicken (58%), wheat flour [wheat flour, calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, thiaminl, water, rapeseed oil, pea fibre, wheat starch, salt, yeast, yeast extract, dextrose, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sage, white pepper. made using british and eu chicken. allergy advice for allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. our promise *** we make every effort to ensure our products are best possible quality. that's why we are happy or replace any tesco product which doesnt your expectations, just ask this does not affect vour statutory righ mjormation please visit tescocom we are here to help: freephone 0800 50 55 55, mon-sat. 9am-6pm.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.
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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 53 chicken nuggets

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 87% of the chicken nuggets 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 53 chicken nuggets, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5054269795943, last edited 16 May 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • 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.