Is Tesco Finest Christmas pudding ultra-processed?

Cakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Glucose
Fructose
E150a Plain caramel
E163 Anthocyanins
E422 Glycerol
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
and 1 more

48 ingredients
7 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed cakes

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

Vine Fruits 30% (Sultanas, Raisins, Currants), Sugar (processing marker), Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Cider 8%, Glacé Cherries 6% (Cherry, Glucose-Fructose Syrup (ultra-processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Anthocyanins (ultra-processing marker), Citric Acid), Palm Oil, Brandy 4.5%, Glycerol (ultra-processing marker), Almonds, Amontillado Sherry 3%, Cognac 2%, Molasses (processing marker), Ruby Port, Pecan Nuts, Single Cream, Rice Flour, Plain Caramel (ultra-processing marker), Mixed Spices, Salt (processing marker), Yeast, mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), Wheat Protein, Spirit Vinegar, Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Rapeseed Oil, Orange Oil, Lemon Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Palm Fat, including cereals containing gluten, Also, Caution Although every care has been taken to remove cherry stones, some may remain, This product may occasionally contain small fragments of shell

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E163 Anthocyanins , E300 Ascorbic acid , E330 Citric acid , E422 Glycerol , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Vine Fruits (30%) [Sultanas, Raisins, Currants], Sugar, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Cider (8%), Glacé Cherries (6%) [Cherry, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Colour (Anthocyanins), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid)], Palm Oil, Brandy (4.5%), Humectant (Glycerol), Almonds, Amontillado Sherry (3%), Cognac (2%), Molasses, Ruby Port, Pecan Nuts, Single Cream (Milk), Rice Flour, Colour (Plain Caramel), Mixed Spices, Salt, Yeast, Emulsifiers (Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Wheat Protein, Spirit Vinegar, Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Orange Oil, Lemon Oil, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Palm Fat. Allergy Advice For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in bold. Also, may contain peanuts, other nuts and egg. Suitable for vegetarians Caution Although every care has been taken to remove cherry stones, some may remain. This product may occasionally contain small fragments of shell.

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.

E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
E163 Anthocyanins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 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.

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.
Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.

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.

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.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 377 cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 208th. 94% of the cakes 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 377 cakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753600426, last edited 5 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.