Is Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix Original ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 20 ingredients
- 1 additive
Less processed spices
-
Organic No-Salt Seasoning
Kirkland Signature
21 ingredients · 1 additive
NOVA group
1
-
Organic Saigon Cinnamon Ground
Kirkland Signature
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Fine ground black pepper
Costco Companies Inc.
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Crushed Red Pepper
Kirkland
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
chili pepper, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), onion powder, spice, corn starch (processing marker), sea salt (processing marker) (potassium magnesium chloride, salt), contains 2% and less of (vegetable oil (processing marker), canola), high oleic soybean, sunflower oil (processing marker), corn flour, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent (processing marker)), citric acid, sugar (processing marker), natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E330 Citric acid
As written on the pack
chili pepper, maltodextrin, salt, onion powder, spice, corn starch, sea salt (potassium magnesium chloride, salt), contains 2% or less of: vegetable oil (canola, high oleic soybean and/or sunflower oil), corn flour, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent), citric acid, sugar, natural flavor,
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.
- 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.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
5 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.
- Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
- 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.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Among 303 spices
From least to most processed, this one ranks 255th. 36% of the spices here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0046000288697, last edited 31 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.