What does ultra-processed mean?
The NOVA classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, groups foods into four categories based on the extent and purpose of processing. NOVA 4 — ultra-processed foods — are industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods, with little or no whole food remaining.
These products typically contain ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen: emulsifiers, humectants, flavour enhancers, and industrial oils. They are designed for convenience, long shelf life, and hyper-palatability — not nutrition.
Growing evidence links ultra-processed food consumption to higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. In the UK, ultra-processed foods now account for more than half of the average diet.
Every Easter egg failed
Not a single Easter egg passed the clean ingredient test
All 155 products across 18 brands scored NOVA 4 — the highest processing level.
Of the 155 Easter egg products listed on Tesco.com, every single one was classified as NOVA 4 — ultra-processed. This is not an edge case. It is the structural reality of the category.
The average product contains 14 ingredients. At the extreme end, Cadbury Mini Egg Choc Cakes contains 48 ingredients and 9 distinct UPF markers, including emulsifiers, raising agents, and modified starch.
Even brands perceived as premium or artisanal — such as Thorntons and Lindt — rely on the same ultra-processed formulations. Zero products passed a strict clean-ingredient test.
Thorntons Continental uses 8 different names for sugar
Sugar, glucose syrup, invert sugar syrup, molasses, honey, dextrose, lactose, and maltodextrin — all in a single product. Splitting sugar across multiple names makes it harder to spot on an ingredient list.
The “least bad” options
While no Easter egg passed a clean-ingredient test, some brands are measurably better than others. NOMO averages the lowest sugar content at 33.2g per 100g, compared to Cadbury at 57.1g. Moo Free and Ombar also tend to use shorter ingredient lists with fewer UPF markers.
But “least bad” is still NOVA 4. Even the cleanest Easter egg on Tesco's shelves is an ultra-processed product. The difference is one of degree, not kind.
The full report includes brand-by-brand rankings, a complete ingredient analysis, and a guide to the most common hidden sugar aliases found across all 155 products.
Find out which Easter eggs are the least bad
Includes rankings, ingredient breakdowns, and hidden sugar insights.
What can you do about it?
Awareness is the first step. The food industry does not make it easy to identify ultra-processed products. Ingredient lists are long, jargon-heavy, and deliberately opaque. Labels like “no artificial colours” or “made with real chocolate” create a halo effect that masks the underlying formulation.
SpikeSaver was built to solve this problem. It's a Chrome extension that analyses every product on Tesco.com against your health goals — including UPF detection, sugar content, and more — so you can make informed choices without reading every label.
If you want to understand what's really in your Easter eggs this year, start with the report above. If you want to make better choices every time you shop, start using SpikeSaver while you shop →
Know someone buying Easter eggs this year?