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The Nomi UPF Index · No. 01 · October 2026

Nearly half of UK supermarket food carries an ultra-processing marker

Published · By the Nomi team

We read the ingredient lists of 16,409 products. The ones sold on a health claim came off worst: 88% of foods with “protein” in the name contain at least one marker.

Ultra-processing information

Typical valuesper 16,409 products
Contains an ultra-processing marker
47%
of which “protein” in the name
88%
of which “no added sugar”
85%
of which vegan or plant-based
72%
of which organic
19%
Strict test (no flavouring-only)
40%

Contains at least one ingredient NOVA treats as a marker of ultra-processing. Data as of 18 October 2026.

Key findings

Ultra-processed food in UK supermarkets, October 2026

  • 47%of 16,409 UK supermarket products contain at least one ultra-processing marker.
  • 88%of products with “protein” in the name are ultra-processed by this measure, the highest of any health claim.
  • 85%of sugar-free and no-added-sugar products contain a marker, usually a sweetener.
  • 72%of vegan and plant-based products contain a marker, against 19% of organic products.
  • 67%of chocolate & sweets contain a marker, the highest of any category; fruit & veg is lowest at 19%.
  • 27%of all products contain flavourings, the most common marker.

The health halo

The healthier it sounds, the more likely it’s ultra-processed

Products grouped by words in their name. The bar is the share containing at least one ultra-processing marker.

All products: 47%

High protein
“Protein” in the name256 products
88%
No added sugar
Sugar-free or no added sugar79 products
85%
Plant-based
Vegan or plant-based116 products
72%
Snack bar
Snack bars305 products
69%
Granola
Granola183 products
61%
Low fat
Low or reduced fat206 products
52%
Free from
Free-from or gluten-free87 products
51%
Organic
Organic444 products
19%
See the numbers
GroupContain a markerExcl. flavouring-onlyProducts
“Protein” in the name87.9%81.6%256
Sugar-free or no added sugar84.8%75.9%79
Vegan or plant-based71.6%68.1%116
Snack bars68.9%53.4%305
Granola60.7%29.0%183
Low or reduced fat52.4%47.1%206
Free-from or gluten-free50.6%44.8%87
Organic19.1%13.1%444

Aisle by aisle

Sweets lead. Bread and plant-based dairy aren’t far behind.

Share of products in each category containing at least one marker. Categories with 100 or more products.

See the numbers
CategoryContain a markerExcl. flavouring-onlyProducts
Chocolate & sweets66.9%64.1%1,054
Puddings & desserts66.9%51.9%676
Biscuits & cookies65.3%60.5%531
Meat alternatives59.2%55.3%282
Plant-based dairy56.7%53.5%402
Ready meals53.1%50.1%1,647
Meat & poultry50.4%46.1%766
Crisps, snacks & nuts50.1%44.5%1,938
Breakfast cereals & bars48.8%35.8%1,459
Soft drinks46.0%33.9%2,017
Cupboard staples45.3%42.6%1,069
Bread & wraps43.0%41.6%1,017
Sauces & spreads42.5%38.6%2,326
Crackers & crispbreads41.3%33.6%453
Pasta, rice & noodles39.5%35.2%659
Fish & seafood34.8%33.4%362
Cooking & baking34.6%32.4%731
Dairy, eggs & yoghurt34.6%24.9%1,235
Cheese20.3%18.3%399
Fruit & veg19.0%16.7%749

What gives it away

The ingredients list of the average supermarket shelf

How often each kind of marker appears across all 16,409 products. Most ultra-processed products contain more than one.

Ingredients: Flavourings (27%), glucose syrups & maltodextrin (15%), emulsifiers (12%), colours (11%), flavour enhancers (9%), thickeners & gums (8%), modified starch (7%), sweeteners (5%), protein isolates (3%), hydrogenated fats (<1%).Percentages are the share of all products containing each marker. As on a real label, they’re listed in descending order.

Read the back of the pack

Popular products with a healthy-sounding name

Among the products Nomi users checked most often. Ingredients are as listed on each product, with the markers in bold.

High protein

Warburtons

Protein Thin Bagels

Ingredients: Wheat flour [with calcium, iron, niacin (b3) and thiamin (b1)], water, pulse blend (11%) (navy bean flour, chickpea flour, pea protein), pea fibre, seed mix (4.5%) (sesame seed, sunflower seed, brown linseed, millet seed, poppy seed), wheat gluten, yeast, malted wheat flour, malted barley flour, salt, emulsífiers: e472e, e481; preservative: calcium propionate, gelling agent: e466; maíze, soya flour, rice flour, acidity regulator: citric acid; flour treatment agents: ascorbic acid (vitamin c), e920

Markers: emulsifiers · thickeners & gums · protein isolates

High protein

FUEL10K

Protein Boosted Chunky Chocolate Granola

Ingredients: Wholegrain oat flakes (44%). sugar, dark chocolate (8%) (cocoa mass. sugar. cocoa butter. emulsifier: sunflower lecithins). wheat gluten. rice flour. sunflower oil. glucose-fructose syrup. wholegrain wheat flakes. pumpkin seeds. grated coconut, fat reduced cocoa powder. dextrose. natural flavouring, caramelized sugar syrup. vitamin mix (niacin. vitamin e. pantothenic acid. vitamin b6. riboflavin. thiamin. folic acid. vitamin b12), salt, antioxidant: tocopherol-rich extract

Markers: emulsifiers · flavourings · glucose syrups & maltodextrin

Added protein

Jason's Sourdough

Sliced Seeded Sourdough with Protein

Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium, folic acid, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, wheat protein (12%), sunflower seeds (9%), pea protein (5%), rye flour, fermented wheat flour, salt

Markers: protein isolates

Added protein

Aldi Specially Selected

Protein Sourdough Toasting Loaf

Ingredients: Wheat flour (wheat flour, calcium carbonate, folic acid, iron, niacin, thiamin), water, wheat protein (11%), kibbled malted wheat, inactive rye sourdough, pea protein (3.5%), fermented wheat flour, rye, rye flour, salt, sunflower seeds, brown linseed, malted barley flour, wheat bran, yellow linseed, yeast, spelt (wheat), wheat, flour treatment agent: ascorbic acid. allergy advice:

Markers: protein isolates

No added sugar

Heinz

Beanz No Added Sugar

Ingredients: Beans (50%), tomatoes (37%), water, modified cornflour, spirit vinegar, salt, natural flavouring, spice extracts, sweetener - steviol glycosides, herb extract. contains naturally occuring sugars

Markers: flavourings · sweeteners · modified starch

Plant-based

Hellmann's

100% Plant Based Mayo

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil (52%), water, spirit vinegar, modified starch, sugar, salt, natural flavourings (contain mustard), lemon juice concentrate, thickener (xanthan gum), antioxidant (calcium disodium edta), paprika extract, sunflower oil

Markers: flavourings · modified starch · thickeners & gums

Vegan

Flora

Vegan Spread

Ingredients: Plant oils (rapeseed, sunflower), water, coconut fat, salt (1,3%), plant based emulsifier (lecithin), faba bean preparation, natural flavourings, vitamin a

Markers: emulsifiers · flavourings

Protein

Nakd

Protein Cocoa Hazelnut Bars

Ingredients: Dates (38%), peanuts (35%), chicory fibre (10%), peanut flour (8%), hazelnuts (5%), fat-reduced cocoa powder (3%), natural flavouring

Markers: flavourings

Questions

Ultra-processed food: common questions

How much UK supermarket food is ultra-processed?

In October 2026, 47% of the 16,409 products in the Nomi database contained at least one ingredient that NOVA treats as a marker of ultra-processing. On a stricter test that ignores products whose only marker is a flavouring, the figure is 40%.

Are high-protein foods ultra-processed?

Most are. 88% of products with “protein” in the name contain at least one marker, typically added protein isolates such as pea or whey protein, emulsifiers or sweeteners. Even excluding flavourings, it is 82%.

Are “no added sugar” products ultra-processed?

85% of sugar-free and no-added-sugar products contain a marker, most often a sweetener such as sucralose, acesulfame K or steviol glycosides used in place of sugar.

What is the most common ultra-processing ingredient?

Flavourings, found in 27% of products, followed by glucose syrups and maltodextrin (15%) and emulsifiers (12%).

How can I tell if a food is ultra-processed?

Check the ingredients list for the markers listed in the method below, such as emulsifiers, flavourings, sweeteners, modified starch and glucose syrups. Or scan the barcode with the free Nomi app, which explains each ingredient.

Method

How we measured this

The products

16,409 products in the Nomi database with an English ingredient list, as of 18 October 2026. Most came from Open Food Facts; the rest were added when Nomi users scanned or photographed them. 9,399 have been checked by at least one Nomi user, and 48% of those contain a marker, close to the database as a whole.

The test

A product counts if its ingredient list includes any of the marker classes listed here, which NOVA, the classification used in most ultra-processed food research, treats as signs of ultra-processing. It is a strict, ingredient-only test: the same list always gets the same answer, and anyone can check it against the label.

How robust it is

  • Flavourings are the most common and most debated marker. Leaving out products whose only marker is a flavouring, 40% of products still contain one, as do 82% of products with “protein” in the name.
  • The Nomi app’s own verdicts, which also weigh things like preservatives, rate 58% of these products as ultra-processed. The two methods agree on 87% of products.

Limits

  • The database isn’t weighted by sales: these are shares of products, not of what people eat.
  • Ingredient lists can lag behind reformulations.
  • A marker says how a food is made, not whether it’s healthy.

The markers

  • FlavouringsFlavourings, including “natural flavourings”
  • Glucose syrups & maltodextrinGlucose and glucose-fructose syrups, invert sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose
  • EmulsifiersLecithins, mono- and diglycerides (E471) and other emulsifiers
  • ColoursAdded colours
  • Flavour enhancersMonosodium glutamate, yeast extract and other flavour enhancers
  • Thickeners & gumsXanthan, guar and cellulose gums, carrageenan and other thickeners
  • Modified starchModified starches and modified cornflour
  • SweetenersSucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K, steviol glycosides and sugar alcohols
  • Protein isolatesProtein isolates and concentrates; hydrolysed and textured proteins
  • Hydrogenated fatsHydrogenated and interesterified fats

Check any product yourself

Nomi is a free app for iPhone and Android. Scan a barcode and it tells you whether the food is ultra-processed, and why, in plain English.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play
Media enquiriessupport@nomiapp.io
The Nomi UPF Index is published monthly by Nomi. Figures may be quoted with credit to Nomi (nomiapp.io).