Is Trader Joe's Movie Theater Popcorn ultra-processed?

5 oz Salted popcorn 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

popcorn, vegetable oil (processing marker) (sunflower vegetable oil, safflower vegetable oil), OIL, clarified butter, sea salt (processing marker)

As written on the pack

POPCORN, EXPELLER PRESSED VEGETABLE OIL (SUNFLOWER AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL), CLARIFIED BUTTER (MILK), SEA SALT. CONTAINS MILK.

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.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

Open Food Facts puts every product in this category in at least this group.

From least to most processed, this one ranks 28th. 37% of the salted popcorn 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 00959933, last edited 10 February 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.