Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Waitrose Pilau Rice ultra-processed?

Indica rices Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Waitrose Pilau Rice

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:

  • 14 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed indica rices

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

Cooked basmati rice 96%, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, flavouring, onion, turmeric powder 0.1%, cumin seeds 0.1%, colour (curcumin), cardamom, cardamom seeds, cumin, cardamom, clove

Additives: E100 Curcumin

As written on the pack

Cooked basmati rice (96%), sunflower oil and/or rapeseed oil, flavouring, onion powder, turmeric powder (0.1%), cumin seeds (0.1%), colour: curcumin, cardamom powder, cardamom seeds, cumin extract, cardamom extract, clove extract

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.

  • E100 Curcumin Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • 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.
2 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 91 indica rices

From least to most processed, this one ranks 89th. 24% of the indica rices 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 91 indica rices, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000169547694, 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.