Is Better Oats Steel Cut Quick Cooking Oatmeal with Flax Seeds Maple & Brown Sugar ultra-processed?

15.1 oz, 10 packets Porridge Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring

9 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score C

Less processed porridge

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

Oats, Sugar (processing marker), Flaxseed, Salt (processing marker), Stearic Acid, Natural Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Artificial Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Molasses (processing marker), Maple Syrup (processing marker)

Additives: E570 Fatty acids

As written on the pack

Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats, Sugar, Flaxseed, Salt, Stearic Acid, Natural Flavor, Artificial Flavor, Molasses, Maple Syrup.

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.

Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

3 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.

Maple syrup An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 160 porridge

From least to most processed, this one ranks 117th. 57% of the porridge 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 160 porridge, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0042400017912, last edited 22 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.