Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Lean Cuisine Signature Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes ultra-processed?

Stews Sold in the United States

Pack of Lean Cuisine Signature Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

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:

  • 73 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed stews

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

Red skin potatoes, cooked beef, water, cream, onions, tomatoes, and less of soy protein concentrate 2%, modified cornstarch, rolled oats, tomato juice, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), green peppers, salt, maltodextrin, molasses, brown sugar, wheat flour, potassium chloride, dried onions, sugar, egg whites, onion, worcestershire sauce (vinegar, molasses, water, tamarind, natural flavor, sugar, salt, caramel color, onion, garlic), natural flavors, autolyzed yeast extract, sour cream, soybean oil, dried garlic, garlic, buttermilk, caramel color, spices, soy sauce (soybean, wheat, salt), tomato paste, seasoning (maltodextrin, flavor, enzyme modified butterfat), xanthan gum, beef fat, chives, carrageenan, beef broth, lactic acid, citric acid, calcium lactate, potato maltodextrin, whey, barley, beef extract, calcium chloride, corn syrup solids, disodium phosphate, dextrose, grill flavor, sesame oil, succinic acid, sunflower oil

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E339ii Disodium phosphate , E363 Succinic acid , E407 Carrageenan , E415 Xanthan gum

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

As written on the pack

Red skin potatoes, cooked beef, water, cream, onions, tomatoes, 2% or less of soy protein concentrate, modified cornstarch, rolled oats, tomato juice, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), green peppers, salt, maltodextrin, molasses, brown sugar, bleached wheat flour, potassium chloride, dried onions, sugar, dried egg whites, onion puree, worcestershire sauce (vinegar, molasses, water, tamarind, natural flavor, sugar, salt, caramel color, onion, garlic), natural flavors, autolyzed yeast extract, sour cream solids, soybean oil, dried garlic, garlic, cultured buttermilk, caramel color, spices, soy sauce (soybean, wheat, salt), tomato paste, seasoning (maltodextrin, flavor, enzyme modified butterfat), xanthan gum, beef fat, dried chives, carrageenan, beef broth, lactic acid, citric acid, calcium lactate, potato maltodextrin, cultured whey, barley extractive, beef extract, calcium chloride, corn syrup solids, disodium phosphate, dextrose, grill flavor, sesame oil, succinic acid, sunflower oil.

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.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • 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.
6 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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • 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.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 33 stews

From least to most processed, this one ranks 33rd. 73% of the stews 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 33 stews, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0013800166951, last edited 21 September 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.