Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco sweet chilli chicken breast pieces ultra-processed?

Cooked chicken breast slices Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco sweet chilli chicken breast pieces

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed cooked chicken breast slices

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

chicken breast 82%, sugar, cornflour, rice flour, potato starch, salt, chilli, stabiliser (sodium triphosphate), chilli, red pepper, s, ginger powder, coriander, garlic, paprika extract, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, cumin, lime oil, oregano, chilli, capsicum extract, made using british chicken, caution although every care has been taken to remove bones, some may remain

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E451 Triphosphates , E451i Pentasodium triphosphate

As written on the pack

chicken breast (82%), sugar, cornflour, rice flour, potato starch, salt, chilli powder, stabiliser (sodium triphosphate), chilli, dried red pepper, s. ginger powder, coriander, garlic powder, paprika extract, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, cumin, lime oil, oregano, chilli extract, capsicum extract. made using british chicken. caution although every care has been taken to remove bones, some may remain.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E451 Triphosphates 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.
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.

  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 53 cooked chicken breast slices

From least to most processed, this one ranks 26th. 85% of the cooked chicken breast slices 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 53 cooked chicken breast slices, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5053947788130, 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.