Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Plant Pioneers ultimate plant burgers ultra-processed?

210g Vegetarian hamburgers Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Plant Pioneers ultimate plant burgers

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:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed vegetarian hamburgers

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

textured soya protein 53%, water, rapeseed oil, onion, palm 0oil, sugar, soya protein, yeast extract, stabiliser (methyl cellulose), chickpea flour, sea salt, tomato purée, beetroot juice, sunflower oil, onion, potato starch, garlic purée, salt, maltodextrin, parsley, flavourings, invert sugar syrup, black pepper, safflower concentrate

Additives: E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

rehydrated textured soya protein (53%), water, rapeseed oil, onion, palm 0oil, sugar, soya protein concentrate, yeast extract, stabiliser: methyl cellulose, chickpea flour, sea salt, tomato purée, beetroot juice powder, sunflower oil, onion powder, potato starch, garlic purée, salt, maltodextrin, parsley, flavourings, invert sugar syrup, black pepper, safflower concentrate,

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.

  • E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • 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.

  • Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.
  • 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.

  • 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.
  • Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 21 vegetarian hamburgers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 13th. 71% of the vegetarian hamburgers 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 21 vegetarian hamburgers, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00356152, last edited 27 March 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.