Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Chicken Stock Cubes ultra-processed?

6.9g Bouillon cubes Sold in the United Kingdom, France and Germany

Pack of Tesco Chicken Stock Cubes

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed bouillon cubes

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

Salt, Potato Starch, Palm Oil, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Chicken Fat 3%, Flavouring, Chicken 1%, Onion Powder, Turmeric Powder, Celery Seed, Parsley, Rice Flour, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice

As written on the pack

Salt, Potato Starch, Palm Oil, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Chicken Fat (3%), Flavouring, Chicken Powder (1%), Onion Powder, Turmeric Powder, Celery Seed, Parsley, Rice Flour, Black Pepper, Lemon Juice Powder.

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.

  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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 60 bouillon cubes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 85% of the bouillon cubes 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 60 bouillon cubes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5051898663643, last edited 18 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.
  • 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.