Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Plant Chef 8 Meat-free smoky rashers ultra-processed?

150g Bacon substitutes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Plant Chef 8 Meat-free smoky rashers

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:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed meat analogues

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

Water, Soya Protein 22%, Wheat Gluten 10%, Corn Oil, Wheat Gluten, Gelling Agents (Carrageenan, Methyl Cellulose), Flavourings, Soya Protein, Dextrose, Thickener (Guar Gum), Salt, Glucose Syrup, Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates (Radish, Blackcurrant, Apple), Soya Bean Oil, Tapioca Starch, Bamboo Fibre, Citric Acid, Iron, Vitamin B12

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E412 Guar gum , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, Reconstituted Soya Protein 22%, Reconstituted Wheat Gluten 10%, Corn Oil, Wheat Gluten, Gelling Agents (Carrageenan, Methyl Cellulose), Flavourings, Soya Protein, Dextrose, Thickener (Guar Gum), Salt, Smoked Glucose Syrup Powder, Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates (Radish, Blackcurrant, Apple), Soya Bean Oil, Tapioca Starch, Bamboo Fibre, Citric Acid, Iron, Vitamin B12.

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.

  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E461 Methyl cellulose 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.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • 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.
  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 11 bacon substitutes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 100% of the bacon substitutes 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 11 bacon substitutes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697729843, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.