Is Tesco Shortcake Biscuits ultra-processed?

Biscuits 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:

Flavouring

17 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score E

Less processed biscuits

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

nore typical valucs 100 ge wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, aking iron, niacin, thiamin), palm oil, sugar (processing marker), maize flour, as sold st glucose syrup, skimmed milk, salt (processing marker), raising energy agent (ammonium bicarbonate), flavouring (ultra-processing marker), reals 1, 2034k 485kca 21‚0 9‚6 fat

Additives: E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503ii Ammonium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

nore typical valucs 100 ge wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, aking iron, niacin, thiamin), palm oil, sugar, maize flour, as sold st glucose syrup, dried skimmed milk, salt, raising energy agent (ammonium bicarbonate), flavouring, reals 1, 2034k 485kca 21,0 9,6 fat

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.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.
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 1,514 biscuits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 341st. 83% of the biscuits 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 1,514 biscuits, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000119002921, 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.