Why is Chili con carne et riz classified as ultra-processed (NOVA 4) and what specific additives does it contain?

The meal receives a NOVA 4 rating because it is made from several industrially processed components such as pre-cooked rice, canned tomatoes, cooked beef and cheese, and it includes the food colourant E160b (annatto), which qualifies it as an ultra-processed product.

How does the salt content in this product affect a hypertensive diet?

With 0.5 g of salt per 100 g, a full 400 g package provides about 2 g of salt, which is roughly 40% of the WHO recommendation of 5 g per day, so it adds a moderate amount of sodium that may be significant for people managing high blood pressure.

Is this meal suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free diets?

No, the product is not vegan or vegetarian because it contains French beef and cheddar cheese; it is not dairy-free due to the cheese, but it is gluten-free as it relies on rice, beans and vegetables without wheat ingredients.

Picard • 400 g

Chili con carne et riz

Composite Foods

Product Insights

Chili con carne et riz is a 400 g frozen ready-made meal from Picard that combines French beef, tomatoes, basmati rice, red beans, cheddar cheese and a blend of spices. It belongs to the PNNS groups "Composite foods" and "One-dish meals", carries a Nutri-Score of B and is classified as NOVA 4, indicating a highly processed product that includes added salt, cheese (milk allergen) and a food colourant (E160b). While it supplies 6.3 g of protein and 2.9 g of fibre per 100 g, it also contributes 0.5 g of salt and moderate fat, making it a convenient source of protein and vegetables but less suitable for low-salt or low-fat diets.

Nutrient Levels

Traffic light indicators

Fat

moderate

Saturated Fat

low

Sugars

low

Salt

moderate

Nutritional Values

Values per 100 g

Energy Kcal120 kcal

Fat3.8 g

Saturated Fat1.4 g

Carbohydrates14 g

Sugars1.5 g

Comparative Analysis

Its salt content of 0.5 g per 100 g is far below the category average of 3.55 g, its fibre level of 2.9 g exceeds the typical 2.08 g, while its protein (6.3 g) is slightly lower than the average 7.16 g for similar ready-meal dishes.

Ingredients

tomate pelée concassée 30,8 % (tomate, jus de tomate), riz basmati cuit 24,4 % (eau, riz, sel), viande bovine cuite 15,2 % (origine : france)*, haricot rouge 9 % (haricot rouge, eau, sucre, sel), oignon, eau, cheddar 2 % (_lait_, sel, ferments lactiques, coagulant, colorant : rocou), huile de tournesol, maïs 1,3 % (maïs, eau, sel), poivron rouge 1,2 %, poivron vert 1,2 %, coriandre 0,6 %, cumin 0,5 %, amidon de maïs, sel, purée d'ail, paprika 0,2 %, préparation à base de piment 0,2 % (piment, purée de tomate, eau, sel, poivron, vinaigre d'alcool), coriandre en poudre 0,1 %, mélange d'épices 5 baies 0,01 %, cardamome 0,01 %,

84%

35%

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