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Is Campbell's CHUNKY OLD BAY Seasoned Clam Chowder ultra-processed?

533 g Canned soups Sold in the United States

Pack of Campbell's CHUNKY OLD BAY Seasoned Clam Chowder

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:

  • 33 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed canned soups

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

Clam stock, potatoes, clams, vegetable oil, corn, canola, and soybean celery, Contains less than 2% of (modified cornstarch), Old Bay seasoning, mustard bran Spices (including celery seed, salt, paprika, natural flavoring, including celery), water salt, wheat flour, soy protein, yeast extract, potassium salt, dried onions, paprika, sugar, spices, sodium phosphate, natural flavoring, butter, buttermilk enzyme modified butter, whey protein, milkfat, nonfat milk, soy lecithin

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

Clam stock, potatoes, clams, vegetable oil (corn, canola, and/or soybean celery, Contains less than 2% of: modified cornstarch, Old Bay seasoning (mustard bran Spices (including celery seed], salt, paprika, natural flavoring [including celery), water salt, wheat flour, soy protein concentrate, yeast extract, potassium salt, dried onions, paprika, sugar, spices, sodium phosphate, natural flavoring, dried butter, buttermilk enzyme modified butter, whey protein concentrate, milkfat, nonfat milk, soy lecithin

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.

  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • 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.

  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 190 canned soups

From least to most processed, this one ranks 166th. 68% of the canned soups 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 190 canned soups, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0051000284174, last edited 7 February 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.