Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Bio Sonne Norma Plant based no meat balls ultra-processed?

35g Vegetarian balls Sold in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany

Pack of Bio Sonne Norma Plant based no meat balls

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:

  • 24 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed vegetarian balls

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

vegetable protein 76% (water, soya protein 20%, wheat protein 11%), onion, vegetable oils in varying proportions (sunflower, rapeseed), potato starch, potato protein, flavouring, spirit vinegar, natural flavourings, methyl cellulose, spices, sea salt, potato fibre, water, dextrose, onion powder, salt, garlic pow der, ferrous gluconate, vitamin b12

Additives: E461 Methyl cellulose , E579 Iron gluconate

As written on the pack

76% hydrated vegetable protein (water, 20% soya protein, 11% wheat protein), onion, vegetable oils in varying proportions (sunflower, rapeseed), potato starch, potato protein, flavouring, spirit vinegar, natural flavourings, thickener: methyl cellulose, spices, sea salt, potato fibre, water, dextrose, onion powder, salt, garlic pow der, ferrous gluconate, vitamin b12,

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.

  • E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 59 vegetarian balls

From least to most processed, this one ranks 56th. 49% of the vegetarian balls 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 59 vegetarian balls, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 20330743, last edited 21 September 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.