Is Merchant Gourmet Jamaican-style grains & pulses ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 54 ingredients
- 2 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Less processed pulses
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Cooked Rice 18% (Water, grains as per Rice), Pearl Barley 11% (Water, roasted vegetables a Pearl Barley), Bulgur Wheat 9% (Water, Bulgur Wheat), Kidney Beans 8% (Water, Kidney Beans), Black Beans 8% (Water, Black Beans), Pinto Beans 8% (Water, Pinto Beans), Quinoa 7% (Water, Quinoa), Coconut Cream 6%, Onion, Red Pepper, Tomatoes, Scotch Bonnet Jerk Paste 3.5% (Water, Spices (Coriander Seed, Black Pepper, Pimento, Ginger, Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Cassia), Salt (processing marker), Garlic, Yeast Extract Powder, Garlic Purée, Red Chilli Purée, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar (processing marker), Parsley, Flavouring (ultra-processing marker), Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Burnt Sugar), Vegetable Oil (processing marker) (contains Sunflower Oil, Rapeseed Oil), Thyme, Lime Juice, Stabiliser (Guar Gum (ultra-processing marker)), Salt (processing marker)
Additives: E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum
As written on the pack
Cooked Wholegrain Rice (18%) (Water, grains as per Wholegrain Rice), Cooked Pearl Barley (11%) (Water, roasted vegetables a Pearl Barley), Cooked Bulgur Wheat (9%) (Water, Bulgur Wheat), Cooked Kidney Beans (8%) (Water, Kidney Beans), Cooked Black Beans (8%) (Water, Black Beans), Cooked Pinto Beans (8%) (Water, Pinto Beans), Cooked Quinoa (7%) (Water, Quinoa), Coconut Cream (6%), Onion, Red Pepper, Tomatoes, Scotch Bonnet Jerk Paste (3.5%) (Water, Spices (Coriander Seed, Black Pepper, Pimento, Ginger, Scotch Bonnet Chilli, Cassia), Salt, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract Powder, Garlic Purée, Red Chilli Purée, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Parsley, Flavouring, Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid; Burnt Sugar), Vegetable Oil (contains Sunflower Oil and/or Rapeseed Oil), Thyme, Lime Juice, Stabiliser: Guar Gum; Salt.
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.
- E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
- 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.
Among 377 pulses
From least to most processed, this one ranks 352nd. 34% of the pulses here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5018095012544, last edited 27 March 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.