Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Waitrose Free range 12 pork sausages ultra-processed?

Sausages Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Waitrose Free range 12 pork sausages

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed sausages

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

Pork 97%, sea salt, rice flour, maize flour, stabiliser (triphosphates), black pepper, preservative (sodium metabisulphite), white pepper, onion, mace, antioxidant (ascorbic acid), maize starch, salt, sage, ginger, dextrose monohydrate, Filled into natural hog casing, Remove all packaging, Wash hands, all surfaces and utensils after touching raw meat, As these sausages have natural skins there is no need to prick them, Cooking (Cook until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat, All appliances vary, This is a guide only, For best results pan fry, PAN FRY CHILLED MEDIUM HEAT 15-20 mins Preheat pan on a medium heat with 1 dessert spoonful of oil, Add sausages and fry on high heat to sear and brown the sausages on the Duside, Turn down the heat and continue to fry until cooked), turning frequently, GRILL MEDIUM HEAT CHILLED 20-25 mins NUTRITION TYPICAL VALUES AS PREPARED 1341 Energy kj Energy kcal 323 Fat

Additives: E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E300 Ascorbic acid , E451 Triphosphates

As written on the pack

Pork (97%), sea salt, rice flour, maize flour, stabiliser (triphosphates), black pepper, preservative (sodium metabisulphite), white pepper, onion, mace, antioxidant (ascorbic acid), maize starch, salt, sage, ginger, dextrose monohydrate. Filled into natural hog casing. ALLERGY ADVICE: For allergens see ingredients in bold. Preparation: Remove all packaging. Wash hands, all surfaces and utensils after touching raw meat. As these sausages have natural skins there is no need to prick them. Cooking: Cook until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. All appliances vary. This is a guide only. For best results pan fry. PAN FRY CHILLED MEDIUM HEAT 15-20 mins Preheat pan on a medium heat with 1 dessert spoonful of oil. Add sausages and fry on high heat to sear and brown the sausages on the Duside. Turn down the heat and continue to fry until cooked, turning frequently. GRILL MEDIUM HEAT CHILLED 20-25 mins NUTRITION TYPICAL VALUES AS PREPARED 1341 Energy kj Energy kcal 323 Fat 26.1g

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.

  • 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.

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.
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.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 337 sausages

From least to most processed, this one ranks 203rd. 80% of the sausages 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 337 sausages, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000169234471, 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.