Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Finest Beef gravy ultra-processed?

200g Dehydrated sauces Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Finest Beef gravy

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:

  • 35 ingredients
  • 1 additive

Less processed dehydrated sauces

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

Water, Onion, Cornflour, Beef Dripping, Yeast Extract, Carrot, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Beef Fat, Merlot Red Wine, Sugar, Beef Extract, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato Concentrate, Tomato Purée, Carrot Concentrate, Tomato, Beef, Tomato Paste, Black Pepper, Redcurrant Juice, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Mushroom, Red Wine, Pectin, Sunflower Oil, Onion Powder, Onion Extract

Additives: E440 Pectins

As written on the pack

Water, Onion, Cornflour, Beef Dripping, Yeast Extract, Carrot, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Beef Fat, Merlot Red Wine, Sugar, Beef Extract, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar, Tomato Concentrate, Tomato Purée, Carrot Concentrate, Tomato Extract, Beef, Tomato Paste, Black Pepper, Concentrated Redcurrant Juice, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Mushroom Concentrate, Red Wine Concentrate, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Sunflower Oil, Onion Powder, Onion Extract.

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.

  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
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.
  • 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 50 dehydrated sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 4th. 96% of the dehydrated sauces 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 50 dehydrated sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753938390, last edited 1 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.