Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Vegetarian Meatballs ultra-processed?

399 g Vegetarian balls Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Vegetarian Meatballs

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:

  • 23 ingredients
  • 1 additive
  • Nutri-Score A

Less processed vegetarian balls

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

textured SOYA protein 55%, onion, water, rapeseed oil, basil, tomato purée, SOYA protein, chickpea flour, stabiliser (methyl cellulose), yeast extract, parsley, oregano, maltodextrin, salt, onion, malted BARLEY extract, garlic, dextrose, black pepper, tomato, flavouring, white pepper

Additives: E461 Methyl cellulose

As written on the pack

Rehydrated textured SOYA protein (55%), onion purée, water, rapeseed oil, basil, tomato purée, SOYA protein concentrate, chickpea flour, stabiliser: methyl cellulose; yeast extract, parsley, oregano, maltodextrin, salt, onion powder, malted BARLEY extract, garlic powder, dextrose, black pepper, tomato powder, flavouring, white 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.

  • E461 Methyl cellulose Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • 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.

  • Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
1 ingredient 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.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 59 vegetarian balls

From least to most processed, this one ranks 55th. 49% of the vegetarian balls 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 59 vegetarian balls, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 5056053306588, last edited 27 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.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of A (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.