Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Sainsbury's Five Beans ultra-processed?

400g Canned common beans Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Sainsbury's Five Beans

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:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • 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

Mixed beans in variable proportions 52% (Haricot Beans, Cannellini Beans, Borlotti Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans), Tomatoes 37%, Water, Sugar, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Onion, Rapeseed Oil, Paprika, Paprika Extract

Additives: E160c Paprika extract

As written on the pack

Mixed beans in variable proportions (52%) (Haricot Beans, Cannellini Beans, Borlotti Beans, Red Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans), Tomatoes (37%), Water, Sugar, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Onion Powder, Rapeseed Oil, Paprika, 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.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.

  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 175 canned common beans

From least to most processed, this one ranks 144th. 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 00272353, last edited 5 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.