Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Lightlife SMART BACON Plant-Based Bacon ultra-processed?

5 oz Bacon Sold in the United States

Pack of Lightlife SMART BACON Plant-Based Bacon

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:

  • 19 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed bacon

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, isolate, vital wheat gluten, soybean oil, soy protein, textured wheat gluten, less than 2% of (salt), sugar, carrageenan, natural flavor, autolyzed yeast extract, natural smoke flavor, spices, rice flour, oleoresin paprika (color), potassium chloride

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E407 Carrageenan

As written on the pack

Water, soy protein, isolate, vital wheat gluten, soybean oil, soy protein concentrate, textured wheat gluten, less than 2% of: salt, sugar, carrageenan, natural flavor, autolyzed yeast extract, natural smoke flavor, spices, fermented rice flour, oleoresin paprika (color), potassium chloride.

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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 109 bacon

From least to most processed, this one ranks 106th. 36% of the bacon 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 109 bacon, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0043454101046, last edited 21 May 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.