Is Trader Joe's Tom Yum Seasoned Snack Mix ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 53 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
cashews, fava beans (fava beans, salt (processing marker), palm olein), dried cooked sticky rice, green peas (green peas, palm olein, sodium bicarbonate), tom yum seasoning (cane sugar (processing marker), salt (processing marker), chili, spice blend (galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, shallot, chili pepper), yeast extract, lime juice (lime juice, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), ascorbic acid (to maintain color)), soy sauce (processing marker) (soybean, wheat, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), salt (processing marker)), chili (chili, garlic oil, onion oil, coconut oil (processing marker), sesame oil (processing marker)), paprika oleoresin (ultra-processing marker), beta-carotene (ultra-processing marker) (color (ultra-processing marker))), rice bran oil (processing marker), shallots (shallots, palm oil, cornstarch (processing marker)), lemongrass, watermelon, cane sugar (processing marker), coconut milk, sesame seeds, salt (processing marker), kaffir lime leaf, chili pepper
Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E160c Paprika extract , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate
As written on the pack
CASHEWS, FRIED FAVA BEANS (FAVA BEANS, SALT, PALM OLEIN), DRIED COOKED STICKY RICE, FRIED GREEN PEAS (GREEN PEAS, PALM OLEIN, SODIUM BICARBONATE), TOM YUM SEASONING (CANE SUGAR, SALT, CHILI POWDER, SPICE BLEND [GALANGAL, LEMONGRASS, KAFFIR LIME LEAF, SHALLOT, CHILI PEPPER], YEAST EXTRACT, LIME JUICE POWDER [LIME JUICE, MALTODEXTRIN, ASCORBIC ACID {TO MAINTAIN COLOR}], SOY SAUCE POWDER [SOYBEAN, WHEAT, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT], FRIED CHILI POWDER [CHILI POWDER, GARLIC OIL, ONION OIL, COCONUT OIL, SESAME OIL], PAPRIKA OLEORESIN, BETA-CAROTENE [COLOR]), RICE BRAN OIL, FRIED SHALLOTS (SHALLOTS, PALM OIL, CORNSTARCH), LEMONGRASS, WATERMELON JUICE, CANE SUGAR, COCONUT MILK, SESAME SEEDS, SALT, KAFFIR LIME LEAF, CHILI PEPPER
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.
- E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
- E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
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.
5 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.
- Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00781039, last edited 3 May 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.