Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is wasabi chicken katsu yakisoba ultra-processed?

450 g Microwave meals Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of wasabi chicken katsu yakisoba

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:

  • 133 ingredients
  • 11 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed microwave meals

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

Vegetable Fried Noodle 74%, Wheat Noodles, Water, Wheat Noodles (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Acidity Regulator (e330), Firming Agents (e501, e500)), Cabbage, White Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Noodle Sauce (Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Onion, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Cornflour, Garlic Puree, Cloves, Ginger), Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Wine, Sugar, Water, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Spice Extracts, Onion, Garlic), Carrot, Green Pea, Stir-Fry Sauce (Water, Sugar, Salt, Molasses, Yeast Extract, Non-Modified Starch, Barley Malt Extract, Garlic Extract), Dark Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour), Sugar, Sesame Dil, Flavour Enhancer (e621), Breaded Chicken Breast 19%, Chicken Breast, Batter Mix, Water, Flour Mix (Wheat Flour (Wheat, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Yeast, Sunflower Oil, Sugar, Salt, Acid (e270), Antioxidant (e300)), Marinade Mix (Water, Maize Starch, Salt, Acidity Regulator (e500), Spirit Vinegar, Tapioca Starch, Dried Glucose Syrup), Rice Cone (Rice), Panko Breadcrumbs, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Antioxidant (e306)), Salt, Yeast, Colour (e160 (c)), Rapeseed Oil, Teriyaki Sauce Sachet, Sugar, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Wheat, Salt, Alcohol), Water, Sake, Modified Maize Starch, Colour (e150 (c))

Additives: E14XX Modified Starch , E150 Caramel , E160 Carotenoids , E220 Sulphur dioxide , E270 Lactic acid , E300 Ascorbic acid , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E330 Citric acid , E500 Sodium carbonates , E501 Potassium carbonates , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Vegetable Fried Noodle (74%) (Wheat Noodles (Water, Wheat Noodles (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Salt, Turmeric, Paprika, Acidity Regulator (E330), Firming Agents (E501, E500)), Cabbage, White Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Noodle Sauce (Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Onion Puree, Molasses, Tamarind Paste, Cornflour, Garlic Puree, Ground Cloves, Ginger Puree), Teriyaki Sauce (Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Wine (Sulphur Dioxide), Sugar, Water, Spirit Vinegar, Salt, Spice Extracts, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder), Carrot, Green Pea, Stir-Fry Sauce (Water, Sugar, Salt, Molasses, Yeast Extract, Non-Modified Starch, Barley Malt Extract, Garlic Extract), Dark Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour), Sugar, Sesame Dil, Flavour Enhancer (E621)), Breaded Chicken Breast (19%) (Chicken Breast, Batter Mix (Water, Flour Mix (Wheat Flour (Wheat, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt)), Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Yeast, Sunflower Oil, Sugar, Salt, Acid (E270), Antioxidant (E300)), Marinade Mix (Water, Maize Starch, Salt, Acidity Regulator (E500), Spirit Vinegar Powder, Tapioca Starch, Dried Glucose Syrup), Rice Cone (Rice), Panko Breadcrumbs (Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Antioxidant (E306)), Salt, Yeast, Colour (E160(c))), Rapeseed Oil), Teriyaki Sauce Sachet (Sugar, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Wheat, Salt, Alcohol), Water, Sake, Modified Maize Starch, Colour (E150(c))).

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.

  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • E150 Caramel A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • E160 Carotenoids A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Firming agent Firming agents keep fruit and vegetable tissue crisp or firm through processing and storage.
Show 2 more
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • 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.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Glucose syrup Glucose syrup is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
6 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.
  • 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 351 microwave meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 346th. 72% of the microwave meals 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 351 microwave meals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5056297000020, last edited 23 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.