Is Tesco Chicken Salad ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Gluten
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 34 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score A
Less processed poultry sandwiches
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Chicken Breast 29%, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Malted Wheat Flakes, Rapeseed Oil, Cornflour, Wheat Bran, Lemon Juice, Salt (processing marker), Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), White Wine Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Malted Barley Flour, Yeast, Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), mono- and DiAcetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Spirit Vinegar, Malted Wheat Flour, Black Pepper, Mustard, Garlic, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Palm Oil
Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
Chicken Breast (29%), Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Malted Wheat Flakes, Rapeseed Oil, Cornflour, Wheat Bran, Lemon Juice, Salt, Wheat Gluten, White Wine Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Malted Barley Flour, Yeast, Emulsifiers (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Di-Acetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Spirit Vinegar, Malted Wheat Flour, Black Pepper, Mustard Flour, Garlic Powder, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Sunflower Oil, Palm Oil.
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.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 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.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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.
- Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
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.
- Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.
Among 16 chicken sandwiches
From least to most processed, this one ranks 6th. 94% of the chicken sandwiches here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 50436767, last edited 7 April 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 A (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.