Is Trader Joe's Buffalo ranch popcorn ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 25 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed popcorn
-
100% Whole Grain Popping Corn Classic Yellow
Great Value
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Organic Microwave Popcorn, 3 Bag, 9 oz
365
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Original Popcorn
Skinny Pop
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Original Popcorn
Skinny Pop Organic
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Popcorn, coconut oil (processing marker), sunflower oil (processing marker), buffalo style ranch seasoning (whey powder (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker), hot sauce (processing marker) (cayenne pepper, vinegar, salt (processing marker), garlic), buttermilk, onion powder, yeast extract, spice, sugar (processing marker), citric acid, vinegar, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), silicon dioxide, garlic powder, paprika, tricalcium phosphate), sunflower lecithin (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid
As written on the pack
Popcorn, coconut oil, sunflower oil, buffalo style ranch seasoning (whey powder, maltodextrin, salt, hot sauce [cayenne pepper, vinegar powder, salt, garlic], buttermilk powder, onion powder, yeast extract, spice, sugar, citric acid, vinegar powder, natural flavor, silicon dioxide, garlic powder, paprika, tricalcium phosphate), sunflower lecithin.
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.
- E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
- 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.
- Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.
- Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.
Among 188 popcorn
From least to most processed, this one ranks 176th. 57% of the popcorn here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00809276, last edited 1 September 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.