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

400g Chicken sausages Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Chicken Sausage

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:

  • 24 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed chicken sausages

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 Thigh 74%, Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Sugar, Durum Wheat Semolina, Disodium Diphosphate, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sage, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Sodium Metabisulphite, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary, Thyme, Pimento, Sunflower Oil

Additives: E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E300 Ascorbic acid , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503ii Ammonium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Chicken Thigh (74%), Water, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Salt, Sugar, Durum Wheat Semolina, Emulsifier (Disodium Diphosphate), Raising Agent (Ammonium Bicarbonate), Sage, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Preservative (Sodium Metabisulphite), Black Pepper, White Pepper, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Rosemary, Thyme, Pimento, 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.

  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
5 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.

  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 30 chicken sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 18th. 70% of the chicken sausages 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 30 chicken sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5054775603329, last edited 9 September 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.