Is Instant Coffee Ultra-Processed?
No — instant coffee is just spray-dried or freeze-dried coffee extract, NOVA 1
No. Instant coffee — whether Nescafe Gold Blend, Nescafe Original, Kenco, or Tesco own-brand — is simply roasted coffee that has been brewed, concentrated, and then spray-dried or freeze-dried into granules or powder. It scores NOVA 1 (unprocessed or minimally processed) with zero UPF markers. Every product we checked at Tesco contained nothing but coffee. The important distinction: plain instant coffee is NOVA 1, but flavoured coffee mixes (3-in-1 sachets, Nescafe Latte sachets) that contain sugar, milk powder, and emulsifiers are NOVA 4 ultra-processed products.
Why Instant Coffee scores NOVA 1 — Unprocessed
Instant coffee is one of the cleanest products in the supermarket. Our Phase 1 analysis of coffee at Tesco found every plain instant coffee product scored NOVA 1 with zero UPF markers.
Nescafe Gold Blend lists 'Soluble Coffee, Roast and Ground Coffee (3%)' — that is it. Nescafe Original is '100% Instant Coffee'. Kenco Smooth is '100% Dried Coffee Extract'. Tesco Classic Instant Coffee is '100% Instant Coffee'. There is no variation across brands — no flavourings, no preservatives, no sweeteners, no emulsifiers.
The manufacturing process — spray-drying or freeze-drying — is a minimal processing method under the NOVA classification system. Coffee beans are roasted, ground, brewed into a concentrated liquid, and then dried into a soluble form. This is comparable to drying herbs or making powdered milk — it changes the physical form but does not introduce any new substances.
The critical distinction is between plain instant coffee (NOVA 1) and flavoured coffee mixes. Products like Nescafe Latte sachets or 3-in-1 coffee mixes contain added sugar, milk powder, vegetable fat, emulsifiers (often E471 or E472e), and flavourings. Those are NOVA 4 ultra-processed products. If the ingredient list says just 'coffee' or 'instant coffee' in any wording, it is NOVA 1.
Instant Coffee at Tesco — NOVA scores
Source: Tesco product page, March 2025
*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.
What to look for when shopping
Plain instant coffee is always NOVA 1. The ingredient list should say nothing more than 'coffee', 'instant coffee', 'soluble coffee', or 'dried coffee extract'. Avoid anything with 'creamer', 'milk powder', 'flavouring', 'sugar', or 'vegetable fat' in the ingredients — those are flavoured coffee mixes or 3-in-1 sachets and are NOVA 4. Budget tip: Tesco Classic Instant Coffee at £2.45 for 200g is the cheapest option and is nutritionally identical to every premium brand.
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