20 years ago, the UK used to be a difficult place to live for vegans. There was a distinct lack of vegan food options, and food products that were labelled as vegan were sold at a premium price. Thankfully in 2024, a vegan diet is much more mainstream, with more and more people understanding the health benefits of going vegan. There are now more vegan food products available than ever before. But is vegan food UPF?
Is vegan food UPF?
We have checked the ingredient lists of 10 popular vegan food products currently on sale at Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, to check whether they can be classed as UPF.
1. Alpro Oat No Sugar Chilled Dairy Free Drink 1L
Alpro Oat No Sugar Chilled Dairy Free Drink is a non-diary alternative to milk, which can be used with a cereal/porridge, in a glass, or in a cup of tea/coffee. It is marketed as a drink rather than as a milk, as the company considers the word milk to be used only when describing a food source provided by animals.
According to this link, its ingredients are:
Oat Base (97.1%) (Water, Oat (8.3%)), Chicory Root Fibre, Sunflower Oil, Calcium (Calcium Carbonate), Sea Salt, Stabiliser (Gellan Gum), Vitamins B2, B12, D2.
Open Food Facts considers this product to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of A.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
2. Beyond Burger Plant Based Patties 226G
Beyond Burger Plant Based Patties are an alternative to meat, primarily made from pea protein. This product has been created so that people following a vegan diet are still able to enjoy a burger. Beyond Meat has become mainstream in recent years, and now supplies McDonald’s with its plant based patties as an alternative to meat in its McPlant.
According to this link, Beyond Burger Plant Based Patties’ ingredients are:
Water, Pea Protein (16%), Rapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Flavouring, Stabilizer (Methylcellulose), Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Colour (Beetroot Red), Maltodextrin, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Salt, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Maize Vinegar, Carrot Powder, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin).
Open Food Facts considers this product to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of C. This product contains Maltodextrin and an emulsifier, which are both on our list of UPF ingredients to avoid.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
3. The Vegetarian Butcher What the Cluck Vegan Chicken Chunks 160g
Made by the Vegetarian Butcher, What the Cluck Vegan Chicken Chunks were created for use in a curry, salad, or stir fry. They are advertised as being deliciously juicy and tender, and as you might guess from the name, as an alternative to chicken.
According to this link, its ingredients are:
SOY structure (88%) (water, SOY protein), natural flavourings, sunflower oil, salt, acid (citric acid), vitamin B12.
Open Food Facts considers this product to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of A.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
4. Kit Kat 4 Finger Vegan Chocolate Bar 41.5g
This Nestle chocolate bar is advertised as being plant based, which might be ideal for vegans who still want to enjoy a chocolatey snack.
According to this link, its ingredients are:
Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Wheat Flour, Corn Fibre, Rice Syrup Powder, Cocoa Mass, Vegetable Fats (Palm Kernel, Palm), Fat-Reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifier (Lecithins), Natural Vanilla Flavouring, Raising Agent (Sodium Bicarbonate).
Open Food Facts considers this product to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of D. This product contains an emulsifier, which is on our list of UPF ingredients to avoid.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
5. Richmond 8 Meat Free Vegan Sausages 304G
These frozen meat -free sausages are a straight replacement for pork sausages, which Richmond also produces. They are made from rehydrated textured soya and wheat protein – we hope this is more delicious than it sounds!
According to this link, its ingredients are:
Water, Rehydrated Textured Soya and Wheat Protein (15%) (Water, Soya Protein, Wheat Protein, Salt, Soya Bean Oil, Natural Flavouring), Rusk (Wheat), Stabilisers: Sodium Alginate, Guar Gum, Methyl Cellulose, Coconut Oil, Soya Protein, Wheat Starch, Flavourings, Salt, Potato Fibre, Yeast Extract, Colouring Foods: Beetroot, Safflower, Herbs, Spices, Black Pepper Extract, Capsicum Extract, Coriander Extract, Ginger Extract, Mace Extract, Nutmeg Extract.
That is a very lengthy ingredient list. Open Food Facts (this link shows different packaging but identical ingredients) considers this food to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of C.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
6. Heinz Plant-Based Baked Beanz & Vegan Sausages 415G
Heinz has produced this food product for vegans who crave beans on toast with some added (vegan) sausage. It’s good to see that as of time of writing, Tesco is pricing this product identically to Heinz’s meat-based equivalent.
According to this link, its ingredients are:
Beans (38%), Tomatoes (31%), Plant Based Sausages (15%) (Water, Wheat Protein, Rapeseed Oil, Potato Starch, Wheat Starch, Stabiliser – Methylcellulose, Citrus Fibre, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavourings, Yeast Extract, Salt, Herbs (Sage), Spices (Black Pepper, White Pepper), Dextrose, Colour – Beetroot Red, Flavourings, Spice Extract), Water, Sugar, Salt, Modified Cornflour, Spirit Vinegar, Spice Extracts, Herb Extract.
Open Food Facts considers this food to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of A.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
7. Quorn Vegan Steak Bakes 300G
Quorn have a range of meat-free products made from mycoprotein, which is made with a member of the fungi/mould family. Mycoprotein is high in protein and fibre but can cause intolerance in some people. This information has probably put me off trying Quorn products for now!
The ingredients of its crispy nuggets according to this link are:
Mycoprotein (52%), Water, Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamine), Rapeseed Oil, Rehydrated Free Range Egg White, Maize Flour, Wheat Starch, Milk Proteins, Natural Flavouring, Salt, Raising Agents: Disodium Diphosphate, Sodium Carbonate, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Firming Agents: Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate, Wheat Gluten, Dextrose, Gelling Agent: Pectin.
Open Food Facts considers this food to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of A.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
8. Violife Vegan Epic Mature Cheddar Flavoured Block 200G
Arguably, the biggest downside to switching to a vegan based diet is giving up cheese. Early vegan-based alternatives to cheese left a lot to be desired in terms of taste. Violife is trying to change this perception of vegan cheeses with its Epic Mature Cheddar Flavoured Block.
According to this link, it has the following ingredients:
Water, Coconut Oil (24%), Modified Starch, Starch, Sea Salt, Lentil Protein, Mature Cheddar Flavour, Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid, Olive Extract, Colour: B-Carotene, Vitamin B12
Open Food Facts considers this food to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of E.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
9. Tesco Plant Chef Meat Free Sausage Rolls 600G
Is there any snack in the UK more popular than the sausage roll? Tesco’s own brand meat-free sausage rolls are made with reconstituted soya protein rather than meat. These plant-based sausage rolls can be found in the frozen section of the supermarket.
According to this link, its ingredients are:
Water, Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Palm Oil, Reconstituted Soya Protein (13%), Reconstituted Wheat Protein (5%) [Wheat Gluten, Water, Wheat Starch, Preservative (Sodium Metabisulphite)], Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Pea Protein, Salt, Yeast Extract, Wheat Gluten, Maltodextrin, Stabiliser (Methyl Cellulose), Dextrose, Flavour Enhancer (Potassium Chloride), Sage, White Pepper, Mace, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Paprika Extract, Capsicum Extract.
This is another extensive ingredient list. Open Food Facts (this link shows different packaging but identical ingredients) considers this food to be NOVA 4. Its Nutri-Score is not yet listed, however I would be shocked if this is not eventually given a score of E. Common UPF ingredients are on this list, including palm oil and maltodextrin.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
10. Mrs Crimbles 6 Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Macaroons 195G
These vegan and gluten free chocolate macaroons look to be a perfect snack for vegans that enjoy a proper old fashioned cup of British tea.
According to this link, it contains the following ingredients:
Coconut (25%), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Rice Flour, Humectants: Sorbitol, Vegetable Glycerol, Potato Starch, Water, Vegetable Fat (Palm Kernel, Palm), Dextrose, Fat Reduced Cocoa Powder (1%), Modified Starch, Stabilizer: Sorbitan Tristearate, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin.
Open Food Facts considers this food to be NOVA 4 with a Nutri-Score of E. This product contains an emulsifier, which is on our list of UPF ingredients to avoid.
Is this vegan food UPF? Yes.
Is vegan food UPF?
In summary, after evaluating ten popular vegan foods on sale at Tesco, it is clear that a lot of vegan products currently on sale are UPF. However, I think evaluating vegan foods in this way highlights a limitation of the NOVA classification system. Between these ten foods, there is a lot of variance in Nutri-Score. Therefore, it seems logical that a product like chocolate macaroons would be much less nutritious than one such as an oat-based drink. While it may be helpful to think to what extent a food we are eating has been processed, we shouldn’t automatically regard it as unhealthy because it is UPF. But if it contains ingredients such as palm oil, emulsifiers, maltodextrin or MSG, I would give it a wide berth.