Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Azuma Gourmet Seaweed Salad ultra-processed?

794g Prepared salads Sold in the United States

Pack of Azuma Gourmet Seaweed Salad

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed prepared salads

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

seaweed (korea, farmed), sugar, agar-agar, kikurage mushroom, vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt, chili pepper, xanthan gum, disodium 5'- inosinate, disodium 5'-guanylate, fd&c yellow #5, fd&c blue #1, potassium sorbate to preserve freshness

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E406 Agar , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

SEAWEED (KOREA, FARMED), SUGAR, AGAR-AGAR, KIKURAGE MUSHROOM, VINEGAR, SESAME OIL, SESAME SEEDS, SALT, CHILI PEPPER, XANTHAN GUM, DISODIUM 5'- INOSINATE, DISODIUM 5'-GUANYLATE, FD&C YELLOW #5, FD&C BLUE #1, POTASSIUM SORBATE TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS. CONTAINS: SESAME

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • E406 Agar A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
4 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 224 prepared salads

From least to most processed, this one ranks 185th. 60% of the prepared salads here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 224 prepared salads, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0745329000019, last edited 30 July 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.