Is Toco Bell Crunchy & Soft Taco Dinner Kit ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 55 ingredients
- 8 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
flour tortillas (processing marker) (wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin (vitamin b2), folic acid), water, corn syrup solids, interesterified soybean oil, glycerin (ultra-processing marker), contains less than 2% of salt, calcium propionate, potassium sorbate as preservatives, sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminium phosphate, fumaric acid, l-cysteine), mild sauce (water, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), vinegar, contains less than 2% of salt, chili peppers, spices, xanthan gum (ultra-processing marker), citric acid, potassium chloride, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), yeast extract, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)), taco shells (yellow corn flour, canola oil, water), taco seasoning mix (wheat flour, salt (processing marker), garlic, chili peppers, spice, onions, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), paprika, sugar (processing marker), contains less than 2% of silicon dioxide as an anticaking agent, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), yeast extract, soybean oil (processing marker), malic acid)
Additives: E296 Malic acid , E297 Fumaric acid , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum , E422 Glycerol , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E541 Sodium aluminium phosphate
As written on the pack
FLOUR TORTILLAS (ENRICHED BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR [BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID], WATER, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, INTERESTERIFIED SOYBEAN OIL, GLYCERIN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CALCIUM PROPIONATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE AS PRESERVATIVES, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ALUMINIUM PHOSPHATE, FUMARIC ACID, L-CYSTEINE); MILD SAUCE (WATER, TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), VINEGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CHILI PEPPERS, SPICES, XANTHAN GUM, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MALTODEXTRIN, YEAST EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVOR); TACO SHELLS (YELLOW CORN FLOUR, CANOLA OIL, WATER); TACO SEASONING MIX (WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, GARLIC*, CHILI PEPPERS*, SPICE, ONIONS*, MALTODEXTRIN, PAPRIKA, SUGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SILICON DIOXIDE AS AN ANTICAKING AGENT, NATURAL FLAVOR, YEAST EXTRACT, SOYBEAN OIL, MALIC 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.
- E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Bread An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000047079, last edited 23 February 2025), 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 C (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.