Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl ultra-processed?

10 oz Frozen fruits Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Organic Acai Bowl

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:

  • 52 ingredients
  • 10 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed frozen fruits

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

Strawberries, Blueberries, Acai (Acai, Water, Citric Acid (Acidifier)), Bananas (Bananas, Ascorbic Acid (To Maintain Color), Citric Acid (Acidifier)), Granola (Rolled Oats, Tapioca Syrup (Water, Tapioca Starch), Invert Sugar Syrup (Cane Sugar, Water), Sunflower Oil, Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds, Brown Rice Syrup, Natural Flavor, Brown Rice Flour, Quinoa Flour, Millet Flour, Quinoa, Molasses, Amaranth, Rice Flour, Mixed Tocopherols (To Preserve)), Unsweetened Coconut Beverage (Coconut Base (Water, Coconut Cream), Contains 2% and Less of Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, L-Selenomethionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D2, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12), Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Carob Bean Gum, Gellan Gum), Coconut Chips

Additives: E300 Ascorbic acid , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E341 Calcium phosphates , E343 Magnesium phosphates , E343i Monomagnesium phosphate , E410 Locust bean gum , E418 Gellan gum

As written on the pack

Organic Strawberries, Organic Blueberries, Organic Acai Puree (Organic Acai Puree, Water, Citric Acid [Acidifier]), Organic Bananas (Organic Bananas, Ascorbic Acid [To Maintain Color], Citric Acid [Acidifier]), Organic Granola (Organic Whole Grain Rolled Oats, Organic Tapioca Syrup [Water, Organic Tapioca Starch], Organic Invert Sugar Syrup [Organic Cane Sugar, Water], Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Chia Seeds, Organic Flax Seeds, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Natural Flavor, Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic Quinoa Flour, Organic Millet Flour, Organic Quinoa Flakes, Organic Molasses, Organic Amaranth Flakes, Rice Flour, Mixed Tocopherols [To Preserve]), Organic Unsweetened Coconut Beverage (Organic Coconut Base [Water, Organic Coconut Cream], Contains 2% or Less of Vitamin and Mineral Blend [Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, L-Selenomethionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D2, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin B12], Sea Salt, Organic Sunflower Lecithin, Organic Carob Bean Gum, Gellan Gum), Organic Unsweetened Coconut Chips.

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.
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E418 Gellan gum Stabilisers are substances which make it possible to maintain the physico-chemical state of a foodstuff; stabilisers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances in a foodstuff, substances which stabilise, retain or intensify an existing colour of a foodstuff and substances which increase the binding capacity of the food, including the formation of cross-links between proteins enabling the binding of food pieces into re-constituted food.
  • 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.

  • Invert sugar Invert sugar is ordinary sugar split into glucose and fructose with acid or enzymes.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 43 frozen fruits

From least to most processed, this one ranks 42nd. 5% of the frozen fruits 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 43 frozen fruits, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00646727, last edited 2 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.