Is Tesco Plant Chef sweet potato falafel salad - Tesco ultra-processed?

Plant-based meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Emulsifier
E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

60 ingredients
1 additive

Less processed plant-based meals

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

Chickpeas, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Potato, Coriander Leaf, Coriander, Cumin, Salt (processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Black Pepper, Chilli, Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Couscous (Water, Durum Wheat Semolina), Red Quinoa (Water, Red Quinoa), Cooked Wheat Berries (Water, Wheat Berries), Cannellini Beans, Butternut Squash 5%, Water, Spring Onion, Red Pepper, Sultanas, Beetroot, Lemon Juice, Rocket, Spinach, Red Wine Vinegar, Sugar (processing marker), Coriander Leaf, Olive Oil (processing marker), Tomato Paste, Rapeseed Oil, Garlic Puree, Salt (processing marker), Cornflour, Beetroot Juice, Dill, Nigella, Ginger, Sea Salt (processing marker), Red Chilli, Lemon Zest, Cumin, Coriander, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, Sunflower Oil (processing marker), Paprika, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper

Additives: E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Chickpeas, Sweet Potato, Carrot, Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Dried Potato, Coriander Leaf, Coriander Powder, Cumin, Salt, Sugar, Black Pepper, Chilli Powder, Emulsifier (Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Cooked Couscous (Water, Durum Wheat Semolina), Cooked Red Quinoa (Water, Red Quinoa), Cooked Wheat Berries (Water, Wheat Berries), Cannellini Beans, Butternut Squash (5%), Water, Spring Onion, Red Pepper, Sultanas, Beetroot, Lemon Juice, Rocket, Spinach, Red Wine Vinegar, Sugar, Coriander Leaf, Olive Oil, Tomato Paste, Rapeseed Oil, Garlic Puree, Salt, Cornflour, Concentrated Beetroot Juice, Dill, Nigella Seeds, Ginger Puree, Sea Salt, Red Chilli Flakes, Lemon Zest, Cumin, Coriander, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, Sunflower Oil, Paprika, Smoked Paprika, Turmeric, Ginger, Cayenne Pepper

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.

E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
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 65 plant-based meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 55th. 49% of the plant-based meals 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 65 plant-based meals, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697693250, last edited 26 June 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.