Is Tesco Sesame seed burger buns ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Colour
- Emulsifier
- Flavouring
- Vegetable fiber
- E160a Carotene
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 30 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed hamburger buns
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Egg 11%, Palm Oil, Sugar (processing marker), Sesame Seeds 2.5%, Butter (processing marker), Egg White, Black Sesame 1%, Yeast, Spirit Vinegar, Wheat Flour, Salt (processing marker), Wheat Fibre (ultra-processing marker), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Soya Flour, Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Algal Carotenes (ultra-processing marker)), Acidity Regulator (Calcium Hydroxide), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid)
Additives: E160a Carotene , E160aiv Algal carotenes , E300 Ascorbic acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E526 Calcium hydroxide
As written on the pack
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Pasteurised Egg (11%), Palm Oil, Sugar, Sesame Seeds (2.5%), Butter (Milk) (2%), Pasteurised Egg White, Black Sesame Seeds (1%), Yeast, Spirit Vinegar, Fermented Wheat Flour, Salt, Wheat Fibre, Flavouring, Soya Flour, Emulsifier (Mono - and Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids), Colour (Algal Carotenes), Acidity Regulator (Calcium Hydroxide), Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid). Allergy Advice
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.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
Among 55 hamburger buns
From least to most processed, this one ranks 41st. 96% of the hamburger buns here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059512733079, last edited 1 August 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.