Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's English Muffins ultra-processed?

English muffins Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's English Muffins

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:

  • 25 ingredients
  • 11 additives

Less processed english muffins

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, starch, rice flour blend (modified tapioca starch, rice flour, rice starch), tapioca starch, chickpea flour, egg whites, cane sugar, yeast, degermed yellow corn meal, canola oil, salt, guar gum, glucono-delta-lactone, vegetable glycerin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate), baking soda

Additives: E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E412 Guar gum , E422 Glycerol , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E464 Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E575 Glucono-delta-lactone

As written on the pack

WATER, STARCH AND RICE FLOUR BLEND (MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, RICE FLOUR, RICE STARCH), TAPIOCA STARCH, CHICKPEA FLOUR, DRIED EGG WHITES, CANE SUGAR, YEAST, DEGERMED YELLOW CORN MEAL, CANOLA OIL, SALT, GUAR GUM, GLUCONO-DELTA-LACTONE, VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, SODIUM CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE, HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORNSTARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE). BAKING SODA.

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.

  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • E464 Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
  • 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 31 english muffins

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 90% of the english muffins 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 31 english muffins, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00704533, last edited 25 May 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.