Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Cornish sardines ultra-processed?

100g Canned sardines Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Cornish sardines

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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed canned sardines

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

Cornish Sardines, Water, Tomato Purée, Olive Oil, Sundried Tomatoes, Spirit Vinegar, Black Olive, Capers, Garlic, Salt, Thickeners (Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum), Onion, Parsley, Chilli, Black Pepper

Additives: E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum

As written on the pack

Cornish Sardines (Fish) (58%), Water, Tomato Purée, Olive Oil, Sundried Tomatoes, Spirit Vinegar, Black Olive, Capers, Garlic Powder, Salt, Thickeners (Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum), Onion Powder, Parsley, Chilli, Black Pepper

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.

  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 91 canned sardines

From least to most processed, this one ranks 88th. 16% of the canned sardines 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 91 canned sardines, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697700323, last edited 28 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.