Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco pasta ultra-processed?

200 g Instant pasta Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco pasta

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:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed instant pasta

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

Cooked Conchiglie Pasta, Water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Tomato Purée 29%, Carrot, Tomato Paste, Onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2%, Basil, Sugar, Salt, Garlic Purée, Vegetable Stock (Salt, Onion Powder, Sugar, Leek, Sunflower Oil, Turmeric Powder, Black Pepper), Cornflour, Garlic, Oregano, Colour (Paprika Extract), Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Emulsifier (Lecithins), Thyme

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E322 Lecithins

As written on the pack

Cooked Conchiglie Pasta (Water, Durum Wheat Semolina], Tomato Purée (29%), Carrot, Tomato Paste, Onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2%), Basil, Sugar, Salt, Garlic Purée, Vegetable Stock Powder [Salt, Onion Powder, Sugar, Leek, Sunflower Oil, Turmeric Powder, Black Pepper], Cornflour, Garlic, Oregano, Colour (Paprika Extract), Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Emulsifier (Lecithins). Thyme Leaves.

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.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • 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 43 instant pasta

From least to most processed, this one ranks 34th. 60% of the instant pasta 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 43 instant pasta, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697758690, last edited 11 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.