No. Under the NOVA classification used in nutrition research, SaladPower is group 1, unprocessed or minimally processed. The ingredient list is six whole organic ingredients and nothing else: spinach, kale, carrot, broccoli, apple and lemon. There are no sweeteners, no flavors, no gums, no isolated fiber and no added sugar.
That is a claim you can check rather than one you have to take our word for, so here is the working.
The line in the classification that decides it
NOVA sorts every food into four groups by the extent and purpose of industrial processing. Its group 1 permits processes that preserve food without adding anything to it, listed as "drying, crushing, grinding, powdering, fractioning, filtering, roasting, boiling, non-alcoholic fermentation, pasteurization, chilling, freezing, placing in containers, and vacuum packaging."
The published table of group 1 examples includes, word for word:
"fresh or pasteurized fruit or vegetable juices (with no added sugar, sweeteners or flavours)"
SaladPower is closer to a smoothie than a juice: the vegetables and fruit are blended whole, so the fiber stays in. Blending is the same kind of process as the crushing and grinding on the group 1 list, and nothing is added. The document is free, published by the FAO, and linked in the sources at the bottom, so you can read the sentence in context.
Our label against the full group 4 marker list
A product is ultra-processed if its ingredient list contains at least one substance rarely used in home kitchens, or one cosmetic additive class. One is enough. Here is every marker, checked.
| Group 4 marker | In SaladPower? |
|---|---|
| Maltodextrin, dextrose, fructose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose | No |
| Fruit juice concentrate | No |
| Isolated soluble or insoluble fiber | No. The 5 g of fiber is what was in the vegetables |
| Hydrolysed protein, soy protein isolate, gluten, casein, whey protein | No |
| Hydrogenated or interesterified oils | No |
| Flavors, including "natural flavors" | No |
| Flavor enhancers | No |
| Colors | No |
| Emulsifiers and emulsifying salts | No |
| Sweeteners, including stevia and monk fruit | No |
| Thickeners and gums | No |
| Anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling or glazing agents | No |
Against the federal definition too
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030 use a shorter description, naming three categories of highly processed food to avoid. SaladPower is in none of them.
| Federal category | SaladPower |
|---|---|
| Packaged, ready-to-eat foods that are salty or sweet with added sugars and salt | No added sugar. Sodium is 90 mg, or 4% of the daily value |
| Foods and beverages with artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives or non-nutritive sweeteners | None of these |
| Sugar-sweetened beverages | No added sugar. The 11 g of sugar is what is in the fruit and vegetables |
The same guidance defines real food as "whole or minimally processed and recognizable as food," prepared with few ingredients and without added sugars, industrial oils, artificial flavors or preservatives. Six vegetables and fruits and nothing else meets that description.
What is in the pouch
| Per 8 oz pouch | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Organic carrot, spinach, apple, kale, broccoli, lemon |
| Vegetables | 5 to 6 cups, which is 2x the USDA daily recommended vegetable intake |
| Calories | 90 |
| Fiber | 5 g (18% DV), a good source |
| Vitamin A | 909 mcg (100% DV), an excellent source |
| Iron | 5 mg (30% DV), an excellent source |
| Vitamin C | 16 mg (20% DV), an excellent source |
| Potassium | 727 mg (15% DV), a good source |
| Added sugar | 0 g |
| Certification | USDA Certified Organic |
Two honest notes
Minimally processed is not the same as raw. Federal guidance asks people to eat vegetables in their original form where they can, and a blended vegetable is not a whole one. What the classification tells you is a narrower thing: that nothing was added to the food. We think both facts belong on the same page.
Shelf-stable does not imply preservatives. The pouch is commercially processed and sealed, which is what makes it stable without refrigeration until opened. Nothing is added to achieve that. If you want the detail, see does SaladPower need to be refrigerated.
Related
What counts as ultra-processed food explains both definitions and the ingredient test. Are smoothies and blended foods ultra-processed applies it across the blended category. Is SaladPower organic covers certification, and does SaladPower have added sugar covers where the 11 g comes from.
Frequently asked questions
Is SaladPower ultra-processed?
No. It is six whole organic ingredients with nothing added, which places it in NOVA group 1, unprocessed or minimally processed. It is closer to a smoothie than a juice, and blending, like the crushing and grinding the classification lists, adds nothing to the food.
Does being shelf-stable make it ultra-processed?
No. Shelf stability here comes from commercial processing and sealing, not from added preservatives. The NOVA classification explicitly lists pasteurization, packing and vacuum packaging as group 1 processes.
Does SaladPower contain natural flavors?
No. There are no flavors of any kind, natural or artificial. "Natural flavors" is one of the single most common reasons an otherwise wholesome-looking product is classified as ultra-processed.
Where does the sugar come from if none is added?
From the apple, carrot and lemon. The pouch contains 11 g of total sugars and 0 g of added sugar. Whole fruits and vegetables contain sugar naturally, and both the NOVA system and federal guidance treat that differently from added sugar.
Is it as good as eating whole vegetables?
Whole vegetables are the sensible default and blending is not the same as eating them raw. What blending does keep is the fiber, which juicing removes, so a pouch delivers 5 g of fiber alongside the vitamins and minerals rather than the liquid alone.
Sources
- Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Lawrence M, Costa Louzada ML, Pereira Machado P. Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health using the NOVA classification system. Rome: FAO; 2019. Full text (PDF)
- Monteiro CA, Cannon G, Levy RB, et al. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition. 2019;22(5):936-941. doi:10.1017/S1368980018003762
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. realfood.gov
- SaladPower Nutrition Facts panel, per 8 oz pouch.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
