GoodSwap Get notified
Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burgers
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Food

Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burgers

Poor out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
Get GoodSwap

Why it scores 27

Trader Joe's Premium Salmon Burgers scores 27 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

Better burgers and patties

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Premium Salmon Burgers

START100

Ingredients

  • Corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Dextrose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [4]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 0.8 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [5]
  • Protein 15 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−1
TOTAL 27Poor

100 − 73.5 = 26.5 → 27

Can’t score above 79. Contains corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]

GTIN 00009676000062 · 2026-02-05

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy100 kcal
Fat3 g
Saturated fat0.5 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates3 g
Sugars1 g
Added sugars1.1 g
Fiber0 g
Protein15 g
Salt0.8 g

Serving: 1 burger (91 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

PINK SALMON, WATER, SEASONING (TAPIOCA SYRUP, MIREPOIX POWDER [VEGETABLES {ONIONS, CARROTS, CELERY}, SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, SALT, ONION POWDER. SUNFLOWER OIL, DEXTROSE, ANTIOXIDANT BLEND FOR FRESHNESS [ROSEMARY EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROLS AND ASCORBIC ACID]), SEA SALT, CARRAGEENAN, YEAST EXTRACT (YEAST EXTRACT, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT), NATURAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS SALMON.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Fish, Celery

  • Not vegan
  • Not vegetarian
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

More from Trader Joe's

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

    who.int

  6. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  7. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  8. Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

    Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    “carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”

    doi.org

  9. Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

    Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”

    doi.org

  10. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

    BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”

    doi.org