Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Carando Italian Style Meatballs ultra-processed?

Frozen meats Sold in the United States

Pack of Carando Italian Style 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:

  • 20 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed frozen meats

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

Pork, parmesan cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, salt, enzymes, cheese cultures, cellulose, starch, potassium sorbate), Less than 2% of the following (salt), parsley, natural flavorings, paprika, water, vinegar, potassium lactate, bha, propyl gallate, citric acid

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E310 Propyl gallate , E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha) , E326 Potassium lactate , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Pork, parmesan cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, salt, enzymes, cheese cultures, cellulose powder, starch, potassium sorbate). Less than 2% of the following: salt, dehydrated parsley, natural flavorings, extractives of paprika, water, vinegar, potassium lactate, bha, propyl gallate, citric acid.

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.

  • E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 83 frozen meats

From least to most processed, this one ranks 55th. 59% of the frozen meats 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 83 frozen meats, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0070247178114, last edited 13 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.