Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Campbell's Chunky Beef ultra-processed?

Canned meals Sold in Canada

Pack of Campbell's Chunky Beef

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:

  • 20 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed canned meals

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

beef broth, carrots, potatoes, beef, peas, tomato paste, celery, modified corn starch, wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, garlic powder, onion powder, spices, parsley, caramel, flavour

Additives: E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

beef broth, carrots, potatoes, seasoned beef, peas, tomato paste, celery, modified corn starch, wheat flour, vegetable oil, salt, yeast extract, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed protein, garlic powder, onion powder, spices, dried parsley, caramel, flavour

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.

  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • 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.

  • Hydrolysed proteins An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
4 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.
  • 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 227 canned meals

From least to most processed, this one ranks 182nd. 69% of the canned meals 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 227 canned meals, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0063211283624, last edited 27 August 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.