Why is Couscous à la Marocaine - Poulet et merguez classified as ultra‑processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The product is labelled NOVA 4 because it combines several processed components such as pre‑cooked chicken treated with salt and stabilisers, cured merguez sausage, and a range of food‑grade additives. The additive list includes triphosphates (E451), polyphosphates (E452), guar gum (E412), xanthan gum (E415) and flavourings that contain wheat, milk, egg and celery extracts.

How does the salt content in this product affect a hypertensive diet?

With 0.8 g of salt per 100 g, the couscous provides about 0.32 g of sodium, which is well below the average salt level for similar meals and can fit into a reduced‑salt diet, but consumers should still consider the total daily salt intake from all foods.

Is the celery in this product a concern for people with a celery allergy?

Yes. Celery is listed as an allergen and appears both as a vegetable ingredient and within flavourings, so anyone diagnosed with a celery allergy should avoid this couscous.

Garbit • 285 g

Couscous à la Marocaine - Poulet et merguez

Cereals And Potatoes

Product Insights

Couscous à la Marocaine - Poulet et merguez is a 285 g microwave‑ready Moroccan‑style couscous containing chicken, merguez sausage and vegetables. It carries a Nutri‑Score of C and is classified in NOVA group 4, delivering 128 kcal, 5.5 g fat (2 g saturated), 6.9 g protein, 1 g sugars and 0.8 g salt per 100 g, which means lower sugar and salt than the average ready‑meal but moderate saturated fat and less fiber. The formulation includes durum wheat semolina, chicken, beef‑lamb merguez, carrots, courgettes, chickpeas and several additives such as triphosphates, polyphosphates, guar gum and xanthan gum, with allergens listed as celery, egg, milk and gluten.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

moderate

Saturated Fat

moderate

Sugars

low

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal128 kcal

Fat5.5 g

Saturated Fat2 g

Carbohydrates12 g

Sugars1 g

Comparative Analysis

Compared with the average ready‑meal, this couscous has considerably less sugar (1 g vs 3.57 g) and salt (0.8 g vs 3.55 g), slightly lower total fat (5.5 g vs 5.94 g) but a bit higher saturated fat (2 g vs 1.94 g), and provides fewer calories (128 kcal vs 174.6 kcal).

Ingredients

water, chicken meat treated in pre-cooked cured 18% (water, salt, stabilizers: triphosphates, polyphosphates), couscous semolina (durum wheat) precooked 12%, merguez 10% (beef and fat, sheep meat and fat, water, spices and aromatics, salt, dextrose, glucose syrup, flavors), carrots, zucchini, turnips, rehydrated chickpeas, celeri, butter (milk), rapeseed oil, tomato pulp (tomato pieces and juice), tomato concentrate, processed corn starch, spices and herbs (including celeri), sugar, flavourings (including wheat, milk, egg, celeri), salt, thickeners: guar gum and xanthan gum,

84%

35%

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