Is Salami Ultra-Processed?

Why Salami scores It depends

Salami is one of the oldest preserved meats in the world, and the traditional recipe is straightforward: pork, salt, spices, and a curing agent. The five traditional-style salamis we checked at Tesco — Tesco Salami Slices, Tesco German Style Salami, Tesco Finest Salami Milano, and Beretta Whole Salami Milano — all follow this pattern.

Dextrose appears in most of these products, which might look like a UPF marker at first glance. But in salami production, dextrose is a fermentation aid — it feeds the lactic acid bacteria that give salami its tangy flavour and preserve it naturally. This is a traditional use, not an industrial additive, and it does not push the product beyond NOVA 3.

Sodium nitrite and potassium nitrate are curing agents used in salami for centuries. Under NOVA classification, these are preservatives consistent with NOVA 3 (processed foods), which explicitly includes cured meats.

Tesco German Style Salami contains glucose syrup instead of dextrose, which is borderline but still falls within NOVA 3 given its role in the fermentation process.

Peperami is a different product entirely. It contains monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate — a triple stack of flavour enhancers that are textbook NOVA 4 markers. These are industrial additives designed to intensify flavour beyond what the base ingredients provide.

Tahira Turkey Salami is also NOVA 4. It contains beetroot red colour (E162), diphosphates stabiliser (E450), and spice extracts — all of which are cosmetic or functional additives that push it into ultra-processed territory.