Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's Sour cream and onion rings ultra-processed?

2.5 oz (71g) Crisps Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Joe's Sour cream and onion rings

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:

  • 27 ingredients
  • No additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed crisps

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

red lentils, rice meal, vegetable oil (CANOLA and OIL (sunflower oil, safflower oil)), sour cream, onion seasoning, salt, whey powder (milk, tapioca dextrose, natural flavor, buttermilk solids, onion powder, sour cream, cultured cream, nonfat dry milk), parsley, yeast extract, nonfat dry milk, spice, CONTAINS 2% and LESS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE, annatto (for color), rosemary oleoresin (to preserve)

As written on the pack

RED LENTILS, RICE MEAL, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER AND/OR SAFFLOWER OIL), SOUR CREAM AND ONION SEASONING (SALT, WHEY POWDER [MILK, TAPIOCA DEXTROSE, NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTERMILK SOLIDS, ONION POWDER, SOUR CREAM POWDER [CULTURED CREAM, NONFAT DRY MILK], DRIED PARSLEY, YEAST EXTRACT, NONFAT DRY MILK, SPICE, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF CALCIUM CARBONATE, ANNATTO EXTRACT (FOR COLOR), ROSEMARY OLEORESIN (TO PRESERVE). CONTAINS MILK.

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.

  • 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.

  • Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
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.

  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,471 crisps

From least to most processed, this one ranks 878th. 64% of the crisps 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 1,471 crisps, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00721363, last edited 13 July 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.