Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Birds Eye Steam fresh ultra-processed?

Frozen vegetables Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Birds Eye Steam fresh

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:

  • 36 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed frozen vegetables

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

Cooked penne pasta with peas and broccoli in a creamy cheese sauce our ingredients, Penne Pasta 45% (Water, Durum WHEAT Semolina), Vegetables 35% (Peas, Broccoli, Onion), milk, Water, Sunflower Oil, Cheese 2% (Gouda, Gorgonzola, Parmesan), Starch (Rice, Potato), White Wine, MILK Curd, Salt, WHEAT Flour, Vegetable Stock (Dextrose, Salt, Dried Vegetables (Carrots, Onion, Leek, Shallots), Tomato, Paprika), Butter, Spices, Whey Powder, MILK Protein

As written on the pack

Cooked penne pasta with peas and broccoli in a creamy cheese sauce our ingredients... Cooked Penne Pasta (45%) (Water, Durum WHEAT Semolina), Vegetables (35%) (Peas, Broccoli, Onion), MILK, Water, Sunflower Oil, Cheese (2%) (Gouda, Gorgonzola (non-vegetarian), Parmesan (non-vegetarian)) (MILK), Starch (Rice, Potato), White Wine, MILK Curd, Salt, WHEAT Flour, Vegetable Stock Powder (Dextrose, Salt, Dried Vegetables (Carrots, Onion, Leek, Shallots), Tomato Powder, Paprika), Butter (MILK), Spices, Whey Powder (MILK), MILK Protein.

What makes it ultra-processed

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.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 115 frozen vegetables

From least to most processed, this one ranks 108th. 19% of the frozen vegetables 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 115 frozen vegetables, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5000116128846, last edited 1 June 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.