Is Impossible Burger Patties ultra-processed?

8 oz Meat analogues Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Dextrose
Glucose
Modified starch
E461 Methyl cellulose

24 ingredients
1 additive
Nutri-Score C

Less processed meat analogues

organic tempeh Lightlife 5 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Textured vegetable protein Bob’s Red Mill 1 ingredient · no additives NOVA group 1
Mushroom Risotto Veggie Burgers Dr. Praeger's Sensible Foods 18 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 1
Textured Pea Protein Acre Made 1 ingredient · no additives NOVA group 1

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

water, soy protein, sunflower oil (processing marker), coconut oil (processing marker), and less of 2%, methylcellulose (ultra-processing marker), dextrose (ultra-processing marker), food starch modified (ultra-processing marker), yeast extract, dextrose (ultra-processing marker), soy leghemoglobin, salt (processing marker), vitamin e (tocopherols), l-tryptophan, soy protein isolate vitamins, minerals (zinc), vitamins (83, b1, b6, b2, and 812)

Additives: E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

water, soy protein concentrate, sunflower oil, coconut oil, 2% or less of: natural flavors, methylcellulose, cultured dextrose, food starch modified, yeast extract, dextrose, soy leghemoglobin, salt, vitamin e (tocopherols), l-tryptophan, soy protein isolate vitamins , minerals: zinc, vitamins (83, b1, b6, b2, and 812) contains: soy

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.

E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
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.

Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.

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.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 511 meat analogues

From least to most processed, this one ranks 271st. 80% of the meat analogues 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 511 meat analogues, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0816697021019, last edited 19 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.
NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of C (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.