Is Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans ultra-processed?

16 oz (1 lb) 453 g Canned common beans Sold in the United States and Bolivia

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring

13 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score A

Less processed canned common beans

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

Pinto Beans, Water, Salt (processing marker) 2%, Tomato Paste, Sea Salt (processing marker) (potassium magnesium chloride, salt), Soybean Oil (processing marker), Chili Pepper, Sugar (processing marker), Onion, Natural Flavor (ultra-processing marker), Garlic

As written on the pack

Cooked Pinto Beans, Water. 2% Salt, Tomato Paste, Sea Salt (potassium magnesium chloride, salt), Soybean Oil, Chili Pepper, Sugar, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder.

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.

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.

Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 175 canned common beans

From least to most processed, this one ranks 107th. 47% of the canned common beans 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 175 canned common beans, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0046000843513, last edited 27 May 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.