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Is Morning Star FARMS Garden Veggie Burgers ultra-processed?

268 g Frozen plant-based foods mixes Sold in the United States

Pack of Morning Star FARMS Garden Veggie Burgers

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:

  • 34 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed frozen plant-based foods mixes

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, carrots, onions, soy protein, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy flour, wheat gluten, vegetable oil (corn, canola, sunflower), green bell peppers, soy protein isolate, brown rice (water, brown rice), oats, onion, red bell peppers, cornstarch, Contains 2% and less of sugar, black olives, salt, methylcellulose, konjac flour, soy sauce (soybeans, salt), spices, garlic, potassium salt, xanthan gum, jalapeno pepper

Additives: E415 Xanthan gum , E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Water, carrots, onions, soy protein concentrate, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy flour, wheat gluten, vegetable oil (corn, canola and/or sunflower), green bell peppers, soy protein isolate, cooked brown rice (water, brown rice), whole grain oats, onion powder, red bell peppers, cornstarch. Contains 2% or less of sugar, black olives, salt, methylcellulose, konjac flour, soy sauce (fermented soybeans, salt), spices, garlic powder, potassium salt, xanthan gum, jalapeno pepper.

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.

  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.

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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
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.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 49 frozen plant-based foods mixes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 35th. 39% of the frozen plant-based foods mixes 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 49 frozen plant-based foods mixes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028989100689, last edited 11 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 A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.