Is Trader Joe's Chicken Meatballs ultra-processed?

12 oz Chickens Sold in the United States

It's processed, but not ultra-processed

Whole foods combined with:

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

chicken, sea salt (processing marker), oregano, basil, vinegar, garlic, granulated onion, rosemary extract, black pepper, parsley

Additives: E392 Extracts of rosemary

As written on the pack

CHICKEN, SEA SALT, OREGANO, BASIL, VINEGAR POWDER, GRANULATED GARLIC, GRANULATED ONION, ROSEMARY EXTRACT, BLACK PEPPER, PARSLEY FLAKES

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

From least to most processed, this one ranks 86th. 74% of the chickens 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.

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00745789, last edited 7 August 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.