Is Young's 16 seafood sticks ultra-processed?

200g Surimi Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
E120 Cochineal
E160c Paprika extract
E631 Disodium inosinate
E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

18 ingredients
4 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed fish preparations

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

Water, Surimi 35% (Alaska Pollock, Hake, Sugar (processing marker)), Potato Starch (processing marker), Sugar (processing marker), Wheat Starch (processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Soya Protein, Flavourings (ultra-processing marker) (Disodium Inosinate (ultra-processing marker), Disodium 5'-Ribonucleotides (ultra-processing marker)), Rapeseed Oil, Egg White Powder, Carmine (ultra-processing marker), Paprika Extract (ultra-processing marker), Yeast

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E160c Paprika extract , E631 Disodium inosinate , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

As written on the pack

Water, Surimi (35%) [Alaska Pollock (Fish) and/or Hake (Fish), Sugar], Potato Starch, Sugar, Wheat Starch, Salt, Soya Protein, Flavourings (contains Crustaceans, Flavour Enhancers: Disodium Inosinate, Disodium 5'-Ribonucleotides), Rapeseed Oil, Egg White Powder, Colours: Carmine, Paprika Extract, Yeast.

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.

E120 Cochineal Carmine is a red colour made from cochineal insects.
E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 12 surimi

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 100% of the surimi 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 12 surimi, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000205039480, last edited 22 September 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.