Is Waitrose Mushroom and Leek Sausages ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 29 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score A
Less processed vegetarian sausages
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Water, mushrooms 24%, leeks 12%, onion, pea flour, pea protein, pea fibre (ultra-processing marker), palm oil, mustard (water, mustard seeds, spirit vinegar, sea salt (processing marker), cinnamon, pimento), pea starch (processing marker), stabiliser (methylcellulose (ultra-processing marker)), porcini mushrooms, salt (processing marker), yeast extract, leek, rice flour, gelling agent (ultra-processing marker) (sodium alginate (ultra-processing marker)), cracked black pepper, nutmeg, preservative (processing marker) (sodium metabisulphite)
Additives: E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E401 Sodium alginate , E461 Methyl cellulose
As written on the pack
Water, mushrooms (24%), leeks (12%), roasted onion, pea flour, pea protein, pea fibre, palm oil (certified sustainable), wholegrain mustard (water, mustard seeds, spirit vinegar, sea salt, cinnamon, pimento), pea starch, stabiliser (methylcellulose), porcini mushrooms, salt, yeast extract, leek powder, rice flour, gelling agent (sodium alginate), cracked black pepper, nutmeg, preservative (sodium metabisulphite)
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.
- E401 Sodium alginate 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.
- E461 Methyl cellulose 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.
- Gelling agent Gelling agents such as pectin, gelatine or carrageenan set liquids into gels and stabilise textures.
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.
- Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
3 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.
- Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Among 84 vegetarian sausages
From least to most processed, this one ranks 34th. 96% of the vegetarian sausages here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000169612668, 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.