Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Old El Paso old-el-paso ultra-processed?

Meal kits Sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Pack of Old El Paso old-el-paso

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
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed meal kits

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

uten free tapioca, corn, quinoa tortillas, tomato topping salsa, seasoning mix for bbq fajitas, edients (en free tapioca), corn 62%, quinoa tortillas 62% (tapioca starch 53%), water, white corn masa flour 8%, stabilisers cerol, xanthan gum, quinoa flour 4%, amaranth flour, mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, salt, sa for topping 31% (chopped tomatoes 51%), water, tomato paste 10%, modified corn starch, dried onions, salt, sl ity regulator (citric acid), green chili pepper, paprika, onion powder, calcium chloride, garlic powder, soning mix 7% (sugar), onion powder 13%, salt, hydrolysed soy protein, spices (black pepper, cayenne pepper, ger), smoke flavouring, citric acid, flavourings, yeast extract, plain caramel, garlic pow allergens see ingredients in bold, illas (k ains 8 portions)

Additives: E150a Plain caramel , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E509 Calcium chloride

As written on the pack

uten free tapioca, corn and quinoa tortillas, 1 tomato topping salsa, 1 seasoning mix for bbq fajitas, edients: en free tapioca, corn and quinoa tortillas (62%): tapioca starch (53%), water, white corn masa flour (8%), stabilisers cerol, xanthan gum), quinoa flour (4%), amaranth flour, emulsifier (mono - and diglycerides of fatty acids), salt, sa for topping (31%): chopped tomatoes (51%), water, tomato paste (10%) , modified corn starch, dried onions, salt, sl ity regulator (citric acid), green chili pepper, paprika, onion powder, firming agent (calcium chloride), garlic powder, soning mix (7%): sugar, onion powder (13%), salt, hydrolysed soy protein, spices (black pepper, cayenne pepper, ger)(6%), smoke flavouring, acidity regulator (citric acid), flavourings, yeast extract, colour (plain caramel), garlic pow allergens see ingredients in bold, illas : packaged in a protective atmosphere eference intake of an average adult (8 400 k ains 8 portions,

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.

  • E150a Plain caramel Plain caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • 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.
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.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Meal kits Products in the category "Meal kits" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 20 meal kits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 13th. 75% of the meal kits 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 20 meal kits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 8410076473943, last edited 17 September 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.