Why is Cantonese rice classified as ultra‑processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The dish combines pre‑cooked salted rice, cured ham, peas, eggs, soy sauce and other processed components, and it uses two listed food additives: sodium nitrite (E250) as a preservative and sodium ascorbate (E301) as an antioxidant, which together trigger the NOVA 4 classification.

How does the sodium (salt) content in this product affect a hypertensive or low‑sodium diet?

With 0.61 g of salt per 100 g (about 240 mg of sodium), a typical 200 g serving contributes roughly 0.5 g of salt, covering about 10‑12% of the World Health Organization’s recommended maximum of 5 g of salt per day, so it is moderate but still significant for strict low‑sodium diets.

Is the presence of egg, fish, gluten, or soy in Cantonese rice a concern for people with common food allergies?

Yes, the product lists egg, fish (anchovy in the fish sauce), gluten (wheat in the soy sauce) and soy as allergens, so individuals sensitive to any of these ingredients should avoid it.

Picard • 600 g

Riz à la cantonnaise

Composite Foods

Product Insights

Cantonese rice is a 600 g frozen ready‑made meal from Picard, positioned as a prepared Cantonese‑style rice dish within the Composite foods and One‑dish meals nutritional families. It carries a Nutri‑Score of B and is classified in NOVA 4, offering low sugar (0.5 g), low saturated fat (0.6 g) and modest protein (5 g) per 100 g, while its salt level (0.61 g) remains moderate compared with many frozen meals. The product contains common allergens (egg, fish, gluten, soy) and includes the additives sodium nitrite (E250) and sodium ascorbate (E301), reflecting its ultra‑processed nature.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

low

Saturated Fat

low

Sugars

low

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal132 kcal

Fat2.7 g

Saturated Fat0.6 g

Carbohydrates21 g

Sugars0.5 g

Comparative Analysis

Compared with the average values for similar ready‑meal products, this rice contains far less sugar (0.5 g vs 3.57 g) and salt (0.61 g vs 3.55 g), but also provides lower protein (5 g vs 7.16 g) and fiber (1.3 g vs 2.08 g).

Ingredients

Riz basmati précuit salé (eau, riz basmati 27,9%, sel), jambon cuit supérieur 8% [jambon de porc (origine: France*), sel, dextrose, arômes naturels, antioxydant: ascorbate de sodium, conservateur: nitrite de sodium], petit pois 8%, omelette 7% (œuf entier issu de poules élevées en plein air, eau, farine de maïs, sel, jus de citron concentré), carotte 4,9%, huile de tournesol, eau, sauce poisson 1,6% [extrait de poisson (anchois), sel, eau], bouillon de poulet (eau, os et viande de poulet), ail, sauce soja [eau, soja, blé (gluten), sel, alcool, vinaigre de riz], fécule de pomme de terre, poivre blanc. Produit élaboré dans un atelier qui utilise : arachide.

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