Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Tesco Tempura Chicken Tenders ultra-processed?

Breaded chicken Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Tesco Tempura Chicken Tenders

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:

  • 29 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed breaded chicken

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 74%, Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Rapeseed Oil, Cornflour, Wheat Starch, Salt, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Hydrogen Carbonate), Garlic, Onion, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Yeast, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Sunflower Oil, Black Pepper Extract, Made using British and EU chicken

Additives: E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E503 Ammonium carbonates , E503ii Ammonium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Chicken Breast (74%), Water, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Rapeseed Oil, Cornflour, Wheat Starch, Salt, Raising Agents (Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Hydrogen Carbonate), Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Lemon Juice Powder, Sugar, Yeast, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Sunflower Oil, Black Pepper Extract. Made using British and EU chicken. 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.

  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.

  • 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 115 breaded chicken

From least to most processed, this one ranks 96th. 83% of the breaded chicken 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 115 breaded chicken, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5059697683299, 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.