Is Tempeh Ultra-Processed?
No — plain tempeh is not ultra-processed
No, plain tempeh is not ultra-processed. Traditional tempeh scores NOVA 1, made from just soybeans, water, and a fermentation culture. At Tesco, products like Better Nature Organic Tempeh and Tofoo Co Tempeh contain only 2-3 ingredients. However, flavoured tempeh variants — like Better Nature Mediterranean Tempeh — can score NOVA 4 due to added flavourings and sunflower oil. Stick to plain tempeh for a genuinely minimally processed food.
Why Tempeh scores NOVA 1 — Unprocessed
Tempeh is one of the oldest fermented foods in the world, made by culturing soybeans with Rhizopus mould. The base product — soybeans, water, and culture — is as minimally processed as food gets. Better Nature Organic Tempeh lists just three ingredients: organic soya beans, water, and tempeh culture (calcium sulphate, inoculum). Tofoo Co Tempeh is similarly clean with cooked soya beans (99%), culture, and apple cider vinegar.
The flavoured variants tell a different story. Better Nature Mediterranean Tempeh contains 15 ingredients including sunflower oil, natural flavourings, and mushroom powder. Under the NOVA framework, the addition of "natural flavourings" — which are industrially derived flavour compounds — automatically classifies a product as NOVA 4, regardless of how clean the rest of the ingredient list is.
The all plants Veggie Tempeh range sits in the middle. The golden lentils variant scores NOVA 1 with just 3 ingredients, while the pea and rosemary variant scores NOVA 3 with 5 ingredients. This shows that tempeh-based products span the full NOVA spectrum depending on what is added to the base.
Key additives to watch for
Tempeh at Tesco — NOVA scores
Source: Tesco product page, March 2025
3 UPF markers
*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 tempeh is one of the cleanest plant proteins you can buy. Look for products with three ingredients or fewer: soybeans, water, and culture. Avoid flavoured or marinated tempeh if you want to stay at NOVA 1 — the moment "natural flavourings" appear on the label, the product jumps to NOVA 4. Making your own marinade at home with real spices keeps you in control.
SpikeSaver highlights which tempeh products pass a clean ingredient check, so you can spot the difference between a 3-ingredient original and a 15-ingredient flavoured variant at a glance.
Check any product yourself
Paste an ingredient list and get an instant NOVA score
Our free NOVA Classifier analyses any ingredient list and flags every ultra-processed marker.
Frequently asked questions
See this automatically while you shop Tesco
SpikeSaver flags ultra-processed ingredients, NOVA scores, and hidden additives — right on the Tesco product page.
Hidden sugars, NOVA classification, glucose impact, and keto suitability — all while you browse.
Install Chrome Extension — Free in BetaChrome extension · Free during beta · Works on Tesco.com