Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Extra Mature Chefdar ultra-processed?

160 g Smoked sausages Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Extra Mature Chefdar

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
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed smoked 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

pork, water, pork fat, salt, dextrose, citric acid, smoke flavour, stabilise (tetrapotassium diphosphate), rosemary extract antioxidant (ascorbic acid), pepper extract, chilli, coriander, nutheg extract, sodium nitrite, casing made from beef collagen

Additives: E250 Sodium nitrite , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid , E450 Diphosphates , E450v Tetrapotassium diphosphate

As written on the pack

PORK, WATER, PORK FAT, SALT, DEXTROSE, ACIDITY REGULATOR (CITRIC ACID), SMOKE FLAVOUR, STABILISE (TETRAPOTASSIUM DIPHOSPHATE), ROSEMARY EXTRACT ANTIOXIDANT (ASCORBIC ACID), PEPPER EXTRACT, CHILLI EXTRACT, CORIANDER EXTRACT, NUTHEG EXTRACT, PRESERVATIVE (SODIUM NITRITE). CASING MADE FROM BEEF COLLAGEN.

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

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
4 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.

  • E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 9 smoked sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 78% of the smoked 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 9 smoked sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057624281877, last edited 15 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.