Why is Lentil & Chickpea Tagine classified as ultra-processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The dish is prepared with cooked pulses, refined vegetable oil, cornflour and a complex Ras el Hanout seasoning that includes sugar, maize starch, dried glucose syrup, colour extracts and preservatives; these processing steps and the presence of additives E160c (paprika colour), E220 (sulphur dioxide) and E330 (citric acid) place it in NOVA group 4.

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

With 0.58 g of salt per 100 g (about 580 mg), the tagine contributes a moderate amount of sodium, lower than many processed foods but still counting toward the recommended daily limit of 5 g, so it should be consumed in controlled portions by people managing high blood pressure.

Based on the ingredients, is this product suitable for strict diets like Vegan, Keto, or Gluten‑Free?

The product is fully vegan and contains no animal‑derived ingredients; it uses cornflour and rice flour, both gluten‑free, making it safe for gluten‑free diets, but its carbohydrate level of 16.9 g per 100 g is too high for a strict keto regimen.

Merchant Gourmet • 280 g

Lentil & Chickpea Tagine

Cereals And Potatoes

Product Insights

Lentil & Chickpea Tagine is a plant-based prepared dish classified in the Legumes dietary family. It carries a Nutri-Score of B and is placed in NOVA group 4, indicating an ultra-processed product; the recipe offers low fat (1.7 g), low sugar (2.3 g) and modest salt (0.58 g) per 100 g, but provides limited protein (5.2 g) and fiber (4.9 g) compared with typical pulses. The formulation includes the additives E160c (paprika colour), E220 (sulphur dioxide) and E330 (citric acid), with sulphites listed as an allergen.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

low

Saturated Fat

low

Sugars

low

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal105 kcal

Fat1.7 g

Saturated Fat0.3 g

Carbohydrates16.9 g

Sugars2.3 g

Comparative Analysis

Compared with average cooked pulses, this tagine contains far less fat (1.7 g vs 15.2 g) and sugar (2.3 g vs 4.1 g), while delivering modest protein (5.2 g) and slightly lower salt (0.58 g vs 2.32 g).

Ingredients

Cooked Brown Lentils (51%) Water, Brown Lentils), Cooked Chickpeas (21%) Water, Chickpeas), Chopped Tomatoes (9%) Tomato, Tomato Juice), Ras el Hanout Seasoning (5%) (Sugar, Maize Starch, Dried Glucose Syrup, Ground Coriander, Ground Paprika, Yeast Extract, Dried Minced Red Pepper, Ground Cumin, Garlic Powder, Black Onion Seeds, Salt, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Ginger, Ground Black Pepper, Ground Fenugreek, Ground Fennel, Ground Nutmeg, Acidity Regulator [Citric Acid], Ground Turmeric, Crushed Chillies, Colour [Paprika Extract], Ground Clove, Ground Star Anise, Flavouring), Dried Apricot (3.9%)(Apricots, Rice Flour, Preservative [Sulphur Dioxide]), Onions, Red Pepper, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower Oil and/ or Rapeseed Oil), Cornflour

84%

35%

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