Nomi
UPF Food Scanner
Know what’s really in your food
Get the free app
Yes — Udon Noodles is ultra-processed.
The ingredient list is valid. This product is classified as ultra-processed (UPF) because it contains modified tapioca starch, which is an industrially processed ingredient used to alter texture and stability. According to the rules, any product containing modified tapioca starch must be considered UPF. Other ingredients like flour, water, lactic acid (as an acidity regulator), and salt are not UPF on their own, but the presence of modified tapioca starch is sufficient to classify the whole product as UPF.
Similar products that aren't ultra-processed — swap and keep the flavour.
Other pasta, rice & noodles Nomi has checked — these ones aren't ultra-processed.
Wholegrain Brown Basmati Rice
Tilda
Not UPF
Egg Noodles
Tesco
Not UPF
Straight To Wok Medium Noodles
Tesco
Not UPF
EGG NOODLES
Sainsbury's
Not UPF
Wholewheat Couscous
Tesco
Not UPF
Wholegrain rice
Waitrose
Not UPF
Fine Egg Noodles
Tesco
Not UPF
Wholewheat fusili
By sainsbury's
Not UPF
Basmati micro rice
Asda
Not UPF
Green Pea fusili
Sainsburys
Not UPF
Yes — Udon Noodles by Taste of is ultra-processed, so it counts as a UPF (ultra-processed food). The ingredient list is valid. This product is classified as ultra-processed (UPF) because it contains modified tapioca starch, which is an industrially processed ingredient used to alter texture and stability. According to the rules, any product containing modified tapioca starch must be considered UPF. Other ingredients like flour, water, lactic acid (as an acidity regulator), and salt are not UPF on their own, but the presence of modified tapioca starch is sufficient to classify the whole product as UPF.
Nomi flags one ingredient in Udon Noodles as an ultra-processed marker: modified tapioca starch. See the full ingredient breakdown above for what each one is.
Nomi has reviewed similar products that are not ultra-processed, including Straight To Wok Medium Noodles by Tesco, Wholewheat medium Noodles by Sainsbury's, Straight To Wok Udon Noodles by Tesco. See the healthier alternatives above for details.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made with ingredients and additives you wouldn't find in a home kitchen — such as emulsifiers, artificial flavourings, colourings and modified starches. The classification is based on the NOVA system used by researchers and dietitians worldwide.
Scan any barcode — or photograph the ingredients label — with the free Nomi app for iOS and Android. You'll get an instant ultra-processed verdict with every ingredient explained in plain English.
This page was shared from Nomi, the free app that tells you instantly whether any food is ultra-processed.
Free download · No subscription needed to start scanning
Product information comes from public databases and Nomi's own analysis, and may contain errors. Always check the packaging. Ultra-processed classification is based on the NOVA food processing system.
