Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs ultra-processed?

10 oz Frozen plant-based foods mixes Sold in the United States

Pack of Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs

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:

  • 31 ingredients
  • 8 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

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 flour, sugar, wheat gluten, yellow corn meal, yellow corn flour, corn oil, contains 2% and less of salt, dextrose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), methylcellulose, brown sugar (sugar, molasses), spices, yeast extract, onion powder, pea protein isolate, natural flavors, carrageenan, garlic powder, xanthan gum, red beet juice concentrate (color), paprika extract (color), paprika (color), yeast

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E407 Carrageenan , E415 Xanthan gum , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E461 Methyl cellulose , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

water, wheat flour, sugar, wheat gluten, yellow corn meal, yellow corn flour, corn oil, contains 2% or less of salt, dextrose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), methylcellulose, brown sugar (sugar, molasses), spices, yeast extract, onion powder, pea protein isolate, natural flavors, carrageenan, garlic powder, xanthan gum, red beet juice concentrate (color), paprika extract (color), paprika (color), dried yeast,

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.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
Show 1 more
  • 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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.

  • Prepared meats Products in the category "Prepared meats" are at least group 3.
  • Sausages Products in the category "Sausages" are at least group 3.
  • 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 49 frozen plant-based foods mixes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 48th. 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 0028989975003, last edited 18 July 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.