Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Jose's Bean & Rice Burrito ultra-processed?

12 oz Burritos Sold in the United States

Pack of Trader Jose's Bean & Rice Burrito

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:

  • 38 ingredients
  • 8 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed burritos

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

wheat flour tortilla (wheat flour, oat fiber, baking powder (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, sea salt)), pinto beans, brown rice, pasteurized process nonfat cheddar cheese, skim milk cheese (cultured skim milk, salt, enzymes), nonfat dry milk, water, sodium citrate, cheddar flavor, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, paprika, turmeric (color), tomatoes, tomato puree, onion, green chiles, spices, tamari (water, soybeans, salt, alcohol), cilantro, garlic, arrowroot

Additives: E331 Sodium citrates , E341 Calcium phosphates , E341i Monocalcium phosphate , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Organic wheat flour tortilla (organic wheat flour, oat fiber, baking powder [monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, sea salt]), organic pinto beans, organic brown rice, pasteurized process nonfat cheddar cheese (skim milk cheese [cultured skim milk, salt, enzymes], nonfat dry milk, water, sodium citrate, cheddar flavor, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, paprika and turmeric [color], tomatoes, organic tomato puree, onion, green chiles, spices, organic tamari (water, organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol), cilantro, garlic, arrowroot.

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.

  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.

  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
7 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.
  • Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.
  • Bread An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.
  • Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 20 burritos

From least to most processed, this one ranks 14th. 75% of the burritos 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 20 burritos, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00138666, last edited 30 May 2025), 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.