Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Impossible Ground Beef ultra-processed?

12 oz Hamburgers Sold in the United States

Pack of Impossible Ground Beef

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed hamburgers

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, natural flavors, and LESS OF 2% (potato protein), methylcellulose, yeast extract, dextrose, food starch modified, soy leghemoglobin, salt, soy protein isolate, mixed tocopherols (vitamin e), zinc gluconate, thiamine hydrochloride (vitamin b1), sodium ascorbate (vitamin c), niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin b6), riboflavin, vitamin b12

Additives: E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, COCONUT OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, NATURAL FLAVORS, 2% OR LESS OF: POTATO PROTEIN, METHYLCELLULOSE, YEAST EXTRACT, CULTURED DEXTROSE, FOOD STARCH MODIFIED, SOY LEGHEMOGLOBIN, SALT, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E), ZINC GLUCONATE, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), SODIUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN C), NIACIN, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), 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.
  • 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.

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.
4 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.
  • Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 60 hamburgers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 49th. 62% of the hamburgers 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 hamburgers, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0816697021002, last edited 28 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.