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Is MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers ultra-processed?

Frozen plant-based foods mixes Sold in the United States

Pack of MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean 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:

  • 38 ingredients
  • 3 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, black beans (black beans, water), brown rice (water, brown rice), onions, vegetable oil (corn, canola, sunflower oil), corn, soy flour, tomatoes, onion, wheat gluten, egg whites, bulgur wheat, green chiles, calcium caseinate, cornstarch, contains 2% and less of spices, tomato, tomato juice, salt, garlic, natural flavor, soy sauce (soybeans, wheat, salt), jalapeno peppers, gum arabic, onion, carrot juice, citric acid, xanthan gum

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E414 Acacia gum , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

Water, cooked black beans (black beans, water), cooked brown rice (water, brown rice), onions, vegetable oil (corn, canola and/or sunflower oil), corn, soy flour, tomatoes, onion powder, wheat gluten, egg whites, bulgur wheat, green chiles, calcium caseinate (milk), cornstarch. contains 2% or less of spices, tomato powder, tomato juice, salt, garlic powder, natural flavor, soy sauce powder (soybeans, wheat, salt), jalapeno peppers, gum arabic, cooked onion and carrot juice concentrate, citric acid, xanthan gum.

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.

  • E414 Acacia gum Gum arabic (acacia gum) is the hardened sap of acacia trees, used to stabilise flavour emulsions in soft drinks and to coat sweets.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.
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 38th. 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 0028989100665, last edited 19 January 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.