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Is Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix ultra-processed?

21.2 oz Pancake mixes Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix

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:

  • 37 ingredients
  • 6 additives

Less processed pancake mixes

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

flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, sugar, cane juice, evaporated cane juice, evaporated cane molasses, baking powder, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate, corn starch, pumpkin, pumpkin, maltodextrin, corn flour, corn starch, soy lecithin, pumpkin, salt, buttermilk powder, buttermilk, buttermilk solids, natural vanilla flavor, cinnamon, natural pumpkin spice flavor, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, beta carotene, beta carotene, maltodextrin, color

Additives: E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate

As written on the pack

enriched flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, sugar, dehydrated cane juice, evaporated cane juice, evaporated cane molasses, baking powder, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate, corn starch, dehydrated pumpkin flakes, pumpkin, maltodextrin, corn flour, corn starch, soy lecithin, dehydrated ground pumpkin, salt, buttermilk powder, buttermilk, buttermilk solids, natural vanilla flavor, ground cinnamon, natural pumpkin spice flavor, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, beta carotene, beta carotene, maltodextrin, color

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.
  • E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • 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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down 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 43 pancake mixes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 42nd. 79% of the pancake mixes 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 pancake mixes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00930444, last edited 1 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.