Is Old El Paso Chunky Salsa ultra-processed?

238 g Dips Sold in the United Kingdom

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Modified starch

16 ingredients
2 additives

Less processed dips

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

chopped tomatoes 67%, onions 12%, green peppers 8%, tomato paste, salt (processing marker), vinegar, sugar (processing marker), onion powder, modified corn starch (ultra-processing marker), lemon juice concentrate, chili pepper, garlic powder 0.3%, citric acid, calcium chloride, spices, oregano

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E509 Calcium chloride

As written on the pack

chopped tomatoes (67%), onions (12%), green peppers (8%), tomato paste, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion powder, modified corn starch, lemon juice concentrate, chili pepper, garlic powder (0,3%), acidity regulator (citric acid), firming agent (calcium chloride), spices, oregano,

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.

Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 433 dips

From least to most processed, this one ranks 313th. 43% of the dips 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 433 dips, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076421081, last edited 7 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.