Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Plant Chef Mince Pies ultra-processed?

342g (6x57g) Shelf-stable sweet pies Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Plant Chef Mince Pies

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:

  • 46 ingredients
  • 14 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed sweet pies

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

Mincemeat 48% (Apple Purée, Sugar, Sultanas, Glucose Syrup, Raisins, Humectant (Glycerol), Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Currants, Orange Peel, Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Mixed Spice, Lemon Peel, Apricot Purée, Malted Barley, Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Flavourings, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite, Sulphur Dioxide), Acidity Regulators (Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid)), Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate)

Additives: E170 Calcium carbonates , E170i Calcium carbonate , E202 Potassium sorbate , E220 Sulphur dioxide , E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E260 Acetic acid , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E422 Glycerol , E440 Pectins , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Mincemeat (48%) [Apple Purée, Sugar, Sultanas, Glucose Syrup, Raisins, Humectant (Glycerol), Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Currants, Orange Peel, Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Ground Mixed Spice, Lemon Peel, Apricot Purée, Malted Barley, Acetic Acid, Citric Acid, Flavourings, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulphite, Sulphur Dioxide), Acidity Regulators (Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid)], Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Palm Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

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.

  • E170 Calcium carbonates Calcium carbonate is chalk.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E440 Pectins Pectins are gelling agents extracted from citrus peel or apple pomace.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • 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.
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  • Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.

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.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
5 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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 8 shelf-stable sweet pies

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 100% of the shelf-stable sweet pies 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 8 shelf-stable sweet pies, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5057753936761, 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.