Is Ben's Original Favourites Paella Chorizo & Vegetable ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 40 ingredients
- 2 additives
- Nutri-Score B
Less processed paella
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
parboiled long grain rice 80%, chorizo 5.9% (pork, water, potato starch (processing marker), herbs, spices, pork protein, salt (processing marker), paprika extract (ultra-processing marker), garlic, sodium nitrite (processing marker)), red pepper 4.3%, peas 2.7%, sunflower oil (processing marker), tomato paste 1.5%, spices, barbecue seasoning (vegetables (onions, tomato, garlic), salt (processing marker), spices (paprika, chillies, cumin, pepper, coriander), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), modified maize starch (ultra-processing marker), smoke flavouring (ultra-processing marker), natural flavouring (ultra-processing marker), caramelised sugar (processing marker), oregano), natural flavouring (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), onion powder, yeast extract, garlic powder
Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E250 Sodium nitrite
As written on the pack
steamed parboiled long grain rice (80%), chorizo (5.9%) (pork, water, potato starch, herbs, spices, pork protein, salt, colour (paprika extract), garlic, preservative (sodium nitrite)), red pepper (4.3%), peas (2.7%), sunflower oil, double concentrated tomato paste (1.5%), spices, barbecue seasoning (vegetables (roasted onions, tomato, garlic), salt, spices (paprika, chillies, cumin, pepper, coriander), maltodextrin, modified maize starch, smoke flavouring, natural flavouring, caramelised sugar, oregano), natural flavouring, salt, onion powder, yeast extract, garlic powder.
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.
- E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
- Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
Substances rarely used in home kitchens
Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
6 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.
- E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
- Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Among 12 paella
From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 75% of the paella here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5010034016194, last edited 31 August 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 B (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.