Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Herbox Beef Bouillon Cubes ultra-processed?

Bouillon cubes Sold in the United States

Pack of Herbox Beef Bouillon Cubes

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:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed bouillon cubes

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

salt, sugar, flavor (hydrolyzed soy protein, salt), hydrolyzed soy protein, contains 2% and less of silicon dioxide (anticaking agent), beef fat, natural flavor (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, sugar, whey powder (from milk), lactic acid), spice, onion, cooked beef, caramel color, beef stock, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, autolyzed yeast, flavoring

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E270 Lactic acid , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

salt, sugar, flavor (hydrolyzed soy protein, salt), hydrolyzed soy protein, contains 2% or less of silicon dioxide (anticaking agent), beef fat, natural flavor (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, sugar, whey powder [from milk], lactic acid), spice, onion powder, dehydrated cooked beef, caramel color, dried beef stock, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, autolyzed yeast, flavoring,

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.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.

  • Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 bouillon cubes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 52nd. 85% of the bouillon cubes 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 60 bouillon cubes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0033600000101, last edited 13 January 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.