Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Harissa paste ultra-processed?

90g Harissa sauces Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Harissa paste

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed harissa 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

Red Pepper 67%, Spices, Smoked Paprika, Cumin Seed, Coriander Seed, Caraway Seed Black Pepper, Garlic Purée, Onion, Sugar, Tomato Patte Salt, Rapeseed Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Grape Must, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Chilli 0.7%, Colour (Paprika Extract)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract

As written on the pack

Red Pepper Purée (67%), Ground Spices (Smoked Paprika, Cumin Seed, Coriander Seed, Caraway Seed Black Pepper], Garlic Purée, Onion Purée, Sugar, Tomato Patte Salt, Rapeseed Oil, Balsamic Vinegar [Red Wine Vinegar, Grape Must, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Chilli Flakes (0.7%), Colour (Paprika 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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 17 harissa sauces

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 65% of the harissa 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 17 harissa sauces, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5052320703883, 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.