Is Tesco fruit Pastilles ultra-processed?

250g Gummi candies Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco fruit Pastilles

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:

  • 23 ingredients
  • 5 additives

Less processed candies

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

sugar (processing marker), glucose syrup (ultra-processing marker), maize starch (processing marker), modified potato starch (ultra-processing marker), water, beef gelatine (ultra-processing marker), fruit juices, orange, blackcurrant, lime, raspberry, pear, lemon, citric acid, flavourings (ultra-processing marker), colours (ultra-processing marker) (anthocyanins (ultra-processing marker), capsanthin (ultra-processing marker), curcumin (ultra-processing marker)), plant concentrates (safflower, spirulina), no artificial flavourings and colours storage

Additives: E100 Curcumin , E160c Paprika extract , E163 Anthocyanins , E330 Citric acid , E428 Gelatine

As written on the pack

sugar, glucose syrup, maize starch, modified potato starch, water, beef gelatine, concentrated fruit juices [orange, blackcurrant, lime, raspberry, pear, lemon), citric acid, flavourings, colours (anthocyanins, capsanthin, curcumin), plant concentrates (safflower, spirulina). no artificial flavourings or colours storage

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.

  • E100 Curcumin 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.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • 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.
  • E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
Show 1 more
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.
  • Glucose syrup 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.

  • Candies Products in the category "Candies" are at least group 3.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 119 gummi candies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 83rd. 99% of the gummi candies 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 119 gummi candies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5018374118974, last edited 15 July 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.