Is Tesco Chicken Salad Sandwich 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
- Vegetable fiber
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 35 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), White Wine Vinegar, 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)), Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Spirit Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Malted Wheat Flour, Black Pepper, Citrus Fibre (ultra-processing marker), Garlic, Mustard, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil (processing marker)
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, White Wine Vinegar, 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), Wheat Gluten, Spirit Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Malted Wheat Flour, Black Pepper, Citrus Fibre, Garlic Powder, Mustard Flour, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Palm Oil, Sunflower 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.
- 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.
- 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 9th. 94% of the chicken sandwiches here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 03055519, last edited 22 June 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.