Is Seitan Ultra-Processed?

Why Seitan scores It depends

Seitan sits in an unusual position on the NOVA scale because the base ingredient — vital wheat gluten — is itself a processed culinary ingredient (NOVA 2). It is extracted by washing wheat flour dough with water until the starch dissolves, leaving behind the elastic gluten protein. That is a mechanical process, not industrial chemistry, so gluten flour on its own is not ultra-processed.

When you make seitan at home by kneading vital wheat gluten with water and simmering it in a broth, the result is NOVA 1-2. You are combining a culinary ingredient with water and perhaps soy sauce — much like making bread.

Shop-bought seitan is a different story. The Tofoo Co. Original Seitan 225g — the most widely available seitan at Tesco — typically contains wheat gluten, water, soy sauce (which itself contains wheat, soya beans, salt), and oil. That combination of a base ingredient with oil and soy sauce fits NOVA 3 (processed food). It is comparable to canned vegetables in brine or traditional cheeses.

The line shifts to NOVA 4 if the product includes 'natural flavouring' or other cosmetic additives. Some seitan products add flavourings to mimic a meatier taste, and 'flavouring' of any kind — natural or artificial — is a NOVA 4 marker. This is the critical ingredient to watch for.

From a nutritional standpoint, seitan is very high in protein (typically 20-25g per 100g) and low in fat, making it one of the most protein-dense plant-based options available. The concern with seitan is not nutrition but the processing classification, which varies product by product.