Is Tesco Coffee Whitener ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 11 ingredients
- 7 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed coffee milks
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Dried Glucose Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Coconut Oil (processing marker), Stabilisers (Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Polyphosphate (ultra-processing marker)), Milk Proteins (ultra-processing marker), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker), mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids Anti-caking Agent (Silicon Dioxide (ultra-processing marker)), Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Beta-Carotene (ultra-processing marker))
Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate , E551 Silicon dioxide
As written on the pack
Dried Glucose Syrup, Coconut Oil, Stabilisers (Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Polyphosphate), Milk Proteins, Emulsifier (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids Anti-caking Agent (Silicon Dioxide), Colour (Beta-Carotene). Allergy Advice For allergens, see ingredients in bold. Suitable for vegetarians
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.
- E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
- E452 Polyphosphates 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.
- E551 Silicon dioxide A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
- 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.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Among 8 coffee milks
From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 75% of the coffee milks here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5052909452454, last edited 6 May 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.