Is Trader Joe's Organic Corn Flakes Cereal ultra-processed?

12 oz Corn flakes Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

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

corn grits, cane sugar (processing marker), malted barley extract, sea salt (processing marker), sunflower lecithin (ultra-processing marker)

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin

As written on the pack

ORGANIC CORN GRITS, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, ORGANIC MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT, SEA SALT, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER LECITHIN. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF MILK, SOY, WHEAT.

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.

2 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.

From least to most processed, this one ranks 52nd. 28% of the corn flakes 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 00923316, last edited 23 April 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 B (from A, best, to E).
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.