Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Morning Star Farms Sausage Links ultra-processed?

5pcs Frozen plant-based foods mixes Sold in the United States and Germany

Pack of Morning Star Farms Sausage Links

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:

  • 49 ingredients
  • 6 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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, wheat gluten, corn oil, egg whites, soy protein, contains 2% and less of potato starch, salt, sodium caseinate, soy protein isolate, methylcellulose, sugar, canola oil, spices, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (soy, wheat, and corn), yeast extract, caramel color, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, autolyzed yeast extract, onion powder, soy sauce (soy sauce (soybeans, salt, wheat), maltodextrin), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, soybean oil, sunflower oil, xanthan gum, sesame oil, vitamins, minerals (niacinamide), iron (ferrous sulfate), vitamins, vitamin b1, thiamin mononitrate, vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamins, vitamin b2, riboflavin, vitamin b12

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E461 Methyl cellulose , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

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

As written on the pack

Water, wheat gluten, corn oil, egg whites, soy protein concentrate, contains 2% or less of potato starch, salt, sodium caseinate, soy protein isolate, methylcellulose, sugar, canola oil, spices, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (soy, wheat, and corn), yeast extract, caramel color, guar gum, natural and artificial flavors, autolyzed yeast extract, onion powder, soy sauce powder (soy sauce [soybeans, salt, wheat], maltodextrin), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, soybean oil, sunflower oil, xanthan gum, sesame oil. vitamins and minerals: niacinamide, iron (ferrous sulfate), vitamin b1 (thiamin mononitrate), vitamin b6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin b2 (riboflavin), vitamin b12.

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.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • 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.
  • E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
  • E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
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  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.
  • 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 49 frozen plant-based foods mixes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 47th. 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 0028989971104, last edited 18 August 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.