Cook Without Preservatives Nigeria

What is actually inside an Addme pack

Every pack is built from three things: real dehydrated vegetables, real protein where the product calls for it, and a seasoning or sauce mix made from ground spices. Nothing beyond that.

The vegetables vary by product, but include carrot, bell pepper, onion, spring onion, chilli, sweet corn, coconut flakes, tomato flakes, and dried green peas, depending on whether it is going into rice, pasta, noodles, or a general dish.

The protein, where a product includes it, is chicken chunks, used in both Noodlemate and Pastamate.

The seasoning and sauce mixes are built from powdered spices such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, and thyme, the same ingredients found in any traditional Nigerian kitchen, not preservative additives.

Why drying replaces the need for preservatives

Dehydrating the vegetables and protein is what gives each pack its shelf life. Removing the moisture is what keeps the ingredients stable at room temperature, rather than a chemical preservative doing that job. It is the same principle behind dried pepper, crayfish, or ogbono that has always been part of Nigerian cooking, applied to a full meal kit. Read the full explanation of what food additives actually do to your body, or start with a beginner's guide to cooking with dried vegetables.

Where this shows up across the range

Shop the full Addme range to see Noodlemate, Pastamate, Ricemate, and Mealmate side by side. If the dried vegetable mix itself is what you are after, on its own or as an add in to something you are already cooking, see Mealmate and the dried vegetable mix page.