Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Bush's Baked Beans ultra-processed?

15.8 oz Common beans Sold in the United States

Pack of Bush's Baked Beans

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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed common beans

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

navy beans, water, soluble corn fiber contains 2%, less of 2% (salt), mustard (water, vinegar, mustard beo, back paprika, turmeric), modified corn starch, onion, yeast extract, caramel color, natural flavors, spices metal can halose, garlic, bush brothers and company p.o, box 52330 depl knoxville, tn 37950 2130 usa www.bushbeans.com 1-800 500 17 please refer to the code on end of can

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

prepared navy beans, water, soluble corn fiber contains 2% or less of: salt, mustard (water, vinegar, mustard beo, back paprika, turmeric), modified corn starch, onion powder, yeast extract, caramel color. natural flavors. spices metal can halose, garlic powder. vegetarian gluten free bush brothers & company p.o. box 52330 depl knoxville, tn 37950 2130 usa www.bushbeans.com 1-800 500 17 please refer to the code on end of can

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.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • 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.

  • 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 169 common beans

From least to most processed, this one ranks 168th. 39% of the common beans 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 169 common beans, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0039400229902, last edited 17 May 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.