Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Birds Eye Meat-Free Meatballs ultra-processed?

280g Vegetarian balls Sold in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands

Pack of Birds Eye Meat-Free Meatballs

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

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

Rehydrated Pea Protein 63%, Rapeseed Oil, Red Onion, Apple Fibre, Pea Flour, Natural Flavourings, Stabiliser (Methylcellulose), Tomato Paste, Garlic, Herbs, Barley Malt Extract, Black Pepper, Pea Fibre, Oat Flour, Potato Starch, Salt, Antioxidant (Extract of Rosemary), Tomato, Mushroom Powder, Onion

Additives: E392 Extracts of rosemary , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Rehydrated Pea Protein (63%), Rapeseed Oil, Red Onion, Apple Fibre, Pea Flour, Natural Flavourings, Stabiliser (Methylcellulose), Tomato Paste, Garlic Powder, Herbs, Barley Malt Extract, Black Pepper, Pea Fibre, Wholegrain Oat Flour, Potato Starch, Salt, Antioxidant (Extract of Rosemary), Tomato Powder, Mushroom Powder, Onion 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 59 vegetarian balls

From least to most processed, this one ranks 52nd. 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 5000116124701, last edited 27 March 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.