Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Healthy Choice Spaghetti & Meatballs ultra-processed?

Bolognese-style pasta Sold in the United States

Pack of Healthy Choice Spaghetti & 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:

  • 52 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed bolognese-style pasta

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 pasta (water, enriched wheat flour (durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil, egg white), cooked meatballs with glaze (meatball (pork, beef, water, bread crumb (wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast), onions, parmesan cheese (part skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), tomato paste, isolated soy protein, potassium chloride, sea salt, flavoring), glaze (water, tomato paste, sugar)), water, tomatoes in puree (tomatoes, tomato puree, citric acid), tomato paste, contains 2% and less of (onions), modified corn starch, garlic, sugar, flavorings, potassium chloride, olive oil, sea salt

Additives: E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Cooked pasta (water, enriched wheat flour [durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate {iron}, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], soybean oil, egg white), cooked meatballs with glaze (meatball [pork, beef, water, bread crumb {unbleached wheat flour, sugar, salt, yeast}, onions, parmesan cheese {part skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}, tomato paste, isolated soy protein, potassium chloride, sea salt, flavoring], glaze [water, tomato paste, sugar]), water, tomatoes in puree (tomatoes, tomato puree, citric acid), tomato paste, contains 2% or less of: onions, modified corn starch, garlic, sugar, flavorings, potassium chloride, olive oil, sea salt. contains: egg, milk, soy, wheat.

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.

  • 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.
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.
  • 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 13 bolognese-style pasta

From least to most processed, this one ranks 10th. 77% of the bolognese-style pasta 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 13 bolognese-style pasta, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0072655454446, last edited 30 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.