Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Impossible Foods Burger made from plants ultra-processed?

340 g Vegan patties Sold in the United States and Canada

Pack of Impossible Foods Burger made from plants

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:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed vegan patties

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, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Soy Leghemoglobin, Glutamates, Natural Flavours, Sugars (Dextrose), Salt, Modified Plant Starch, Yeast Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant), Soy Protein Isolate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Flavour), L-Tryptophan, Zinc Gluconate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Ferric Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin, and Vitamin B12

Additives: E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E461 Methyl cellulose , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

Water, Soy Protein Concentrate, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Potato Protein, Methylcellulose, Soy Leghemoglobin, Glutamates, Natural Flavours, Sugars (Cultured Dextrose), Salt, Modified Plant Starch,Yeast Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Antioxidant), Soy Protein Isolate, Thiamine Hydrochloride (Flavour), L-Tryptophan, Zinc Gluconate, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Ferric Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and Vitamin B12.

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.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 23 vegan patties

From least to most processed, this one ranks 15th. 83% of the vegan patties 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 23 vegan patties, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0816697021040, last edited 1 April 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.