Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette ultra-processed?

Vinaigrettes Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette

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:

  • 9 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed vinaigrettes

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

water balsamic facts vinegar (wine vinegar per container concentrated grape must), canola oil, sugar, contains 2% tbsp, and less of salt, dried garlic, xanthan gum, 90

Additives: E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

water balsamic facts vinegar (wine vinegar per container concentrated grape must), canola oil, sugar, contains 2% tbsp. (30ml or less of salt, dried garlic, xanthan gum. 90

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.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 29 vinaigrettes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 8th. 83% of the vinaigrettes 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 29 vinaigrettes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00724999, last edited 16 April 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.