Is it ultra-processed?
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Is McCormick Fajita seasoning ultra-processed?

Condiments Sold in the United States

Pack of McCormick Fajita seasoning

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:

  • 15 ingredients
  • 2 additives

Less processed condiments

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

spices (including cumin, chili pepper, and oregano), onion, salt, corn maltodextrin, corn syrup solids, garlic, mustard, citric acid, caramel color, lime, modified corn starch, and natural flavor

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

spices (including cumin, chili pepper, and oregano), onion, salt, corn maltodextrin, corn syrup solids, garlic, mustard bran, citric acid, caramel color, lime juice solids, modified corn starch, and natural flavor,

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.

  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • 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.

  • 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.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 3,645 condiments

From least to most processed, this one ranks 3279th. 55% of the condiments 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 3,645 condiments, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0052100021218, last edited 2 October 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.