Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Red velvet cake ultra-processed?

Cakes Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Red velvet cake

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:

  • 36 ingredients
  • 13 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed cakes

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

Sugar, Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin, Rapeseed Oil, Full Fat Soft Cheese, Egg, Beetroot Juice from Concentrate, Butter, Humectant (Glycerol), Egg White, Palm Oil, Cornflour, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Cocoa Mass, Emulsifiers (mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids), Salt, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Flavouring, Whole Milk, Colour (Beta-Carotene), Pack ca *Referen Recyclin C CARTON Recycle Tesco Stor Welwyn Ga

Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E202 Potassium sorbate , E300 Ascorbic acid , E422 Glycerol , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E501 Potassium carbonates , E501ii Potassium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Sugar, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Rapeseed Oil, Full Fat Soft Cheese (Milk) (9%), Pasteurised Egg, Beetroot Juice from Concentrate, Butter (Milk), Humectant (Glycerol), Pasteurised Egg White, Palm Oil, Cornflour, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Potassium Hydrogen Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Cocoa Mass, Emulsifiers (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids, Polyglycerol Esters of Fatty Acids), Salt, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Flavouring, Whole Milk, Colour (Beta-Carotene). Pack ca *Referen Recyclin C CARTON Recycle Tesco Stor Welwyn Ga

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.

  • E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • E475 Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
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  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • 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.
7 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.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 377 cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 260th. 94% of the cakes 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 377 cakes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697386992, 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.