Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Hellmann's Plant Based Mayo Spread & Dressing ultra-processed?

30 oz Mayonnaises Sold in the United States

Pack of Hellmann's Plant Based Mayo Spread & Dressing

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:

  • 12 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed mayonnaises

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

canola oil, water, modified food starch, distilled vinegar, less than 2% of (sugar), salt, lemon juice concentrate, sorbic acid, disodium edta, natural flavors, paprika extract

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E200 Sorbic acid

As written on the pack

CANOLA OIL, WATER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, DISTILLED VINEGAR, LESS THAN 2% OF: SUGAR, SALT, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, SORBIC ACID, DISODIUM EDTA, NATURAL FLAVORS, PAPRIKA EXTRACT.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • 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.
3 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 239 mayonnaises

From least to most processed, this one ranks 164th. 72% of the mayonnaises 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 239 mayonnaises, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0048001016637, last edited 29 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.