Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is The Gym Kitchen Chicken Tikka Masala ultra-processed?

400 g Chicken tikka masala Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of The Gym Kitchen Chicken Tikka Masala

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:

  • 76 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed chicken tikka masala

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

Sauce, Tomato, Water, Onion, Semi-Skimmed Milk, Low Fat Yoghurt, Carrot, Garlic Purée, Ginger, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Tomato Purée, Cumin, Coriander, Lime Juice, Rapeseed Oil, Tandoori Masala Seasoning (Paprika, Salt, Coriander, Turmeric, Chilli, Cumin Cinnamon, Clove, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Lemon Oil, Black Pepper, Bay Leaf, Colour (Paprika Extract)), Turmeric, Salt, Garam Masala Blend (Coriander, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Ginger, Fennel, Chilli, Paprika, Cardamom, Clove, Cumin, Bay Leaf, Spice Extracts, Turmeric), Fenugreek leaf, Chilli, Colour (Paprika Extract), Rice Mix 22% (Brown Rice, Lentils, Spinach, Water, Onion, Cumin Seeds), Chicken 20% (Chicken, Tomato Paste, Ginger, Corn Starch, Garlic, Palm Oil, Salt, Yoghurt Powder, Green Chilli, Spices, Colour (Paprika Extract), Herbs), Pepper 16%, Onion Mix 16% (Red Pepper, Onion)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Sauce (Tomato, Water, Onion, Semi-Skimmed Milk, Low Fat Yoghurt (Milk), Carrot, Garlic Purée, Ginger Purée, Modified Maize Starch, Sugar, Tomato Purée, Cumin, Ground Coriander, Lime Juice, Rapeseed Oil, Tandoori Masala Seasoning (Paprika, Salt, Coriander, Turmeric, Chilli Powder, Cumin Cinnamon, Ground Clove, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Lemon Oil, Black Pepper, Ground Bay Leaf, Colour (Paprika Extract)), Ground Turmeric, Salt, Garam Masala Blend (Coriander, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Ginger, Fennel, Chilli Powder, Paprika, Cardamom, Clove, Cumin, Ground Bay Leaf, Spice Extracts, Turmeric), Fenugreek leaf, Chilli Powder, Colour (Paprika Extract)), Rice Mix (22%) (Brown Rice, Lentils, Spinach, Water, Onion, Cumin Seeds), Cooked Marinated Chicken Pieces (20%) (Chicken, Tomato Paste, Ginger, Corn Starch, Garlic, Palm Oil, Salt, Yoghurt Powder (Milk), Green Chilli, Spices, Colour (Paprika Extract), Herbs), Grilled Pepper and Onion Mix (16%) (Red Pepper, Onion).

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.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" 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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 19 chicken tikka masala

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 89% of the chicken tikka masala 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 19 chicken tikka masala, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5060084348325, last edited 17 April 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.