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Mezzetta Giardiniera pickled vegetables
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Pickled vegetables

Mezzetta Giardiniera pickled vegetables

16 fl oz (473 mL)

Okay out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in salt
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Why it scores 59

Mezzetta Giardiniera pickled vegetables scores 59 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  2. Salt 3.2 g / 100 g: Very high in salt. Strong
  3. Sodium metabisulfite: Sulfites must be declared above 10 mg/kg in the EU and UK and at 10 ppm or more in the US because some people, especially people with asthma, react to them. Regulatory

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

Better relish, peppers and pickled vegetables

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

The Receipt

Giardiniera pickled vegetables

START100

Ingredients

  • Sodium metabisulfite
    Regulatory Sulfites must be declared above 10 mg/kg in the EU and UK and at 10 ppm or more in the US because some people, especially people with asthma, react to them. [1][2][3]
  • Calcium chloride
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [4]
  • Natural flavors
    Info "Natural flavor" is a legal category (21 CFR 101.22(a)(3)): flavor substances from spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or fermentation. [5][4]
subtotal−12.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [4]
  • 2 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: firming agent and flavoring. [4]
subtotal−19.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 3.2 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in salt. [6]
subtotal−9
TOTAL 59Okay

100 − 41 = 59

Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [7]

GTIN 00073214001026 · 2025-04-04

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy16 kcal
Fat0 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates3.1 g
Sugars0 g
Added sugars0 g
Fiber0 g
Protein0 g
Salt3.2 g

Serving: 5 PIECES | ABOUT (32 g)

Ingredients

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

VEGETABLE MIX (CAULIFLOWER, CARROTS, CELERY, RED BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS, PICKLES [CUCUMBERS, WATER, DISTILLED VINEGAR, SALT, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, NATURAL FLAVORS, TURMERIC], GREEK PEPPERS), WATER, SEA SALT, SODIUM METABISULFITE (ADDED AS A COLOR STABILIZER).

Allergens and diets

Contains: Celery, Sulphites

  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest pickled vegetables in the US

More from Mezzetta

Sources

  1. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers

    European Union (Official Journal) · Oct 25, 2011 · Law

    “ANNEX II SUBSTANCES OR PRODUCTS CAUSING ALLERGIES OR INTOLERANCES 1. Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

  2. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (as it applies in the UK), Annex II: substances or products causing allergies or intolerances

    legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives) · Law

    “1. Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats or their hybridised strains, and products thereof”

    legislation.gov.uk

  3. 21 CFR 101.100 Food; exemptions from labeling (sulfiting agents)

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Feb 17, 2022 · Law

    ecfr.gov

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  5. 21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 19, 2016 · Law

    “whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

    ecfr.gov

  6. 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

  7. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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