Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Trader Joe's Maple and Brown Sugar ultra-processed?

Rolled oats Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Maple and Brown Sugar

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:

  • 14 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed rolled oats

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

rolled oats, sugar, salt, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, guar gum, caramel color, ferric orthophosphate, vitamin a palmitate, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid

Additives: E150c Ammonia caramel , E412 Guar gum

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E150c Ammonia caramel.

As written on the pack

whole grain rolled oats, sugar, salt, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, guar gum, caramel color, ferric orthophosphate, vitamin a palmitate, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic 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.

  • E150c Ammonia caramel Ammonia caramel is a brown colour made by heating sugars with ammonia compounds.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 159 rolled oats

From least to most processed, this one ranks 156th. 14% of the rolled oats 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 159 rolled oats, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00910552, last edited 4 March 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.