Is Tesco Freefrom Red pesto ultra-processed?

190 g Red pestos Sold in the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Firming agent

18 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed red pestos

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

Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Water, Tomato Purée 15%, Sundried Tomatoes 6% (Sundried Tomatoes, Salt (processing marker)), Basil 6%, Tofu 6% (Soya Bean, water, firming agent (ultra-processing marker) (magnesium chloride)), red pepper, sugar (processing marker), pine nuts, acidity regulator (lactic Acid), Garlic

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E511 Magnesium chloride

As written on the pack

Sunflower Oil, Water, Tomato Purée (15%), Sundried Tomatoes (6%) [Sundried Tomatoes, Salt], Basil (6%), Tofu (6%) [Soya Bean, water, firming agent (magnesium chloride)], red pepper, sugar, pine nuts, acidity regulator (lactic Acid), Garlic Powder

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.

Firming agent Firming agents keep fruit and vegetable tissue crisp or firm through processing and storage.

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 26 red pestos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 19th. 42% of the red pestos 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 26 red pestos, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753224325, last edited 27 March 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.