Is Rice A Roni Cilantro Lime Rice with zesty cilantro lime seasoning ultra-processed?

Rice dishes Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Flavouring
Maltodextrin

12 ingredients
No additives
Nutri-Score D

Less processed rice dishes

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

Long grain rice, corn maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), corn syrup solids, cilantro, lime, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), parsley, ferric orthophosphate, niacinamide, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid

As written on the pack

Long grain rice, corn maltodextrin, salt, corn syrup solids, cilantro, lime extract, natural flavor, parsley, ferric orthophosphate, niacinamide, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid.

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.

2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 192 rice dishes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 88th. 71% of the rice dishes 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 192 rice dishes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0015300014060, last edited 20 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 D (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.