Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Wai wai ultra-processed?

70g Instant noodles Sold in the United States and India

Pack of Wai wai

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:

  • 63 ingredients
  • 11 additives

Less processed instant noodles

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

Refined WHEAT flour, Edible vegetable oil (Palm vegetable oil), WHEAT gluten, lodised salt, Acidity regulator (500ii, 451i, 1 70i), Thickener (412), Flavour enhancer (621), SOY sauce, Tomato saUce, Green chilli sauce, Onion, Black pepper, Citric acid (330), Caramel (150d), carryover from soya sauce Seasoning (Codex, Indian FC 12.2.2, lodised solt), Sugar, Spices, condiments, Black salt, Fleur enhancers (621, 627, 631), Garic, Molodetrin (1400), Coriander, Tecmeric (100i1), Chilli, Cunin, Ginger, Hydrolyzed protein, Citric Acid (330), ock pepper, Clove, Small cardamom, Cinnamon, Boy leaves, Fennel, Big cardamom, Anistar, Anlicoeno ogent (551), Emulsifying, stabilizing ogent (433), Onion Oil (Edible Vegetable oil (Palro Olein)), On

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel , E330 Citric acid , E451 Triphosphates , E451i Pentasodium triphosphate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E551 Silicon dioxide , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E1400 Dextrin, E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel, E451 Triphosphates, E551 Silicon dioxide, E621 Monosodium glutamate, E627 Disodium guanylate, E631 Disodium inosinate.

As written on the pack

Refined WHEAT flour, Edible vegetable oil (Palm), WHEAT gluten, lodised salt, Acidity regulator (500ii, 451i, 1 70i), Thickener (412) Flavour enhancer (621) SOY sauce, Tomato saUce, Green chilli sauce, Onion, Black pepper, Citric acid (330) and Caramel (150d) (carryover from soya sauce Seasoning (Codex/Indian FC 12.2.2): lodised solt, Sugar, Spices and condiments, Black salt, Fleur enhancers (621, 627, 631), Garic, Molodetrin (1400), Coriander, Tecmeric (100i1), Chilli, Cunin, Ginger, Hydrolyzed protein, Citric Acid (330), ock pepper, Clove, Small cardamom, Cinnamon, Boy leaves, Fennel, Big cardamom, Anistar, Anlicoeno ogent (551), Emulsifying and stabilizing ogent (433) Onion Flavoured Oil: Edible Vegetable oil (Palro Olein) & On

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.

  • E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
  • E150d Sulphite ammonia caramel Sulphite ammonia caramel is the dark brown colour in colas and many sauces, made by heating sugars with sulphite and ammonia compounds.
  • 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.
  • E551 Silicon dioxide A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • Thickener Thickeners, often gums or modified starches, make liquids more viscous so that a product feels richer than its ingredients alone would make it.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • Hydrolysed proteins An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
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.

  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 242 instant noodles

From least to most processed, this one ranks 225th. 93% of the instant noodles 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 242 instant noodles, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8906013030022, last edited 16 February 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.