Is Tesco Tikka Paste ultra-processed?

200g Curry pastes 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:

Colour
Flavouring
Maltodextrin
E160c Paprika extract

28 ingredients
3 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed curry pastes

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

Water, Tomato Purée 30%, Tomato 5%, Paprika, Coriander 5%, Coriander 3%, Coconut 2.5%, Sugar (processing marker), Onion, Ginger, Turmeric, Rapeseed Oil, Cumin, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Chilli, Salt (processing marker), Fenugreek, Cardamom, Dried Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Black Pepper, Preservative (processing marker) (Potassium Sorbate (processing marker)), Colour (ultra-processing marker) (Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker)), Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E202 Potassium sorbate , E270 Lactic acid

As written on the pack

Water, Tomato Purée (30%), Tomato (5%), Paprika, Ground Coriander (5%), Coriander (3%), Coconut (2.5%), Sugar, Onion Powder, Ginger Purée, Turmeric, Rapeseed Oil, Cumin, Acidity Regulator (Lactic Acid), Chilli Powder, Salt, Fenugreek, Cardamom, Dried Garlic, Potassium Chloride, Black Pepper, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Colour (Paprika Extract), Flavouring, Maltodextrin. Suitable for vegetarians

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.
Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
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.

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.

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.
Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 77 curry pastes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 72nd. 43% of the curry pastes 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 77 curry pastes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5053526133795, 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 C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.