Is Old El Paso Refried Beans ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 9 ingredients
- 1 additive
- Nutri-Score B
Less processed pinto beans
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Water, pinto beans 55%, salt (processing marker), sunflower oil (processing marker), onion, cumin, garlic, chili, paprika extract (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E160c Paprika extract
As written on the pack
Water, cooked pinto beans (55%), salt, sunflower oil, onion powder, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika extract
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.
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.
- Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Among 14 pinto beans
From least to most processed, this one ranks 13th. 21% of the pinto beans here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9300695002824, last edited 20 April 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 B (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.