Do Old El Paso Refried Beans Have Lard? Rosarita Does

Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans list soybean oil and no lard on the brand's current page, while Rosarita Traditional lists lard. An older database record for Old El Paso still shows lard, so the can in hand is the final check.

This side-by-side comparison sets the two labels against each other on fat source, sodium, saturated fat, and fiber per 1/2 cup.

Key takeaways

• Old El Paso Traditional (16 oz can, 4 servings, 1/2 cup serving) lists soybean oil and no lard on its current brand page, with 440mg sodium (19% DV), 0g saturated fat, and 5g fiber (18% DV) per 1/2 cup.
• Rosarita Traditional lists lard under "less than 2% of," so it is not vegetarian by its ingredient list. Per 0.5 cup (128 g) it has 470mg sodium, 1g saturated fat, and 5g fiber.
• An older Open Food Facts record for Old El Paso Traditional (UPC 0046000821214) lists lard and hydrogenated lard, so the fat source may differ by can.
• FDA's low threshold is 5% DV or less of sodium per serving, and its high threshold is 20% DV or more. Old El Paso's 19% DV is below the high threshold, and Rosarita's calculated figure of about 20% is at it.
• The brand page says nutrition information can change and directs readers to the physical packaging. Neither label establishes which product is healthier, and this article does not declare one.

Does Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans Have Lard?

No. The current Old El Paso Traditional brand page lists soybean oil and no lard for the 16 oz can (1/2 cup serving).

The brand page ingredient list reads: "Cooked Pinto Beans, Water. Contains 2% or less of: Soybean Oil, Salt, Tomato Paste, Cumin, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chili Pepper." The product is listed with the allergy statement "Does Not Contain Declaration Obligatory Allergens."

An older Open Food Facts record conflicts with that listing. The Open Food Facts entry for UPC 0046000821214, 16 oz (453 g), gives a serving of 1/2 cup (120 g), and its partial ingredient text reads: "Lard, salt, tomato paste, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili pepper, hydrogenated lard, sugar." The record does not say when the formula was recorded, and the date of any change from lard to soybean oil was not disclosed.

Does Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans Have Lard?

Yes. The Open Food Facts record for Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans lists lard among the ingredients that make up less than 2% of the product; the serving is 0.5 cup (128 g).

The listed ingredients read: "BEANS, WATER, LESS THAN 2% OF: LARD, SALT, DISTILLED VINEGAR, POTASSIUM SALT, SEA SALT, CHILI PEPPER, ONION POWDER, SPICES, NATURAL FLAVOR, GARLIC POWDER." Lard is pork fat, so the product is not vegetarian by its ingredient list.

The can size and servings per can were not disclosed in the Open Food Facts record for this product.

Are Old El Paso Traditional Refried Beans Vegetarian?

The current Old El Paso Traditional ingredient list has no animal ingredient, but certification was not disclosed.

The Open Food Facts record for UPC 0046000821214 lists lard and hydrogenated lard, which does not match the current brand page. A shopper who needs an animal-free product should read the ingredient panel on the can in hand rather than rely on a brand page or a database entry.

Which Fat Is Listed on the Label?

Old El Paso's current brand page lists soybean oil, while Rosarita's ingredient list names lard.

• Old El Paso Traditional (current brand page): soybean oil, listed as 2% or less. Total fat is 1.5g per 1/2 cup.
• Old El Paso Traditional (older Open Food Facts record): lard and hydrogenated lard.
• Rosarita Traditional: lard, listed as less than 2%. Total fat is 2.5g per 0.5 cup (128 g).

Soybean oil is a plant-derived oil, and lard is rendered pork fat, so the two products differ in fat source. For another packaged food where the oil source is the main label question, see Is Chosen Mayo 100% Avocado Oil? Yes; Primal Kitchen Too.

Old El Paso vs Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans: How Much Sodium Is Per 1/2 Cup?

Old El Paso Traditional lists 440mg of sodium per 1/2 cup, shown as 19% DV on the label. Rosarita Traditional lists 470mg per 0.5 cup (128 g), and its %DV was not disclosed.

The FDA lists the Daily Value for sodium as less than 2,300 mg per day. Under FDA guidance, 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high, as the FDA explains in The Lows and Highs of Percent Daily Value. Rosarita's 470mg works out to about 20% of 2,300mg, a figure calculated from the milligram count because the company's %DV was not disclosed.

For general background, see the FDA's Sodium in Your Diet.

Old El Paso vs Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans: How Much Saturated Fat Is Per 1/2 Cup?

Old El Paso Traditional lists 0g of saturated fat per 1/2 cup (0% DV), and Rosarita Traditional lists 1g per 0.5 cup (128 g). Rosarita's %DV for saturated fat was not disclosed.

Both labels list 0g of trans fat and 0mg of cholesterol per serving, and both products list 0g of added sugars. The same FDA Percent Daily Value guidance covers saturated fat as well as sodium.

The Old El Paso brand page gives the serving as 1/2 cup without a gram weight. The 120 g figure in the Open Food Facts record should not be read as the brand page's gram weight. Rosarita's serving is 128 g.

Old El Paso vs Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans: How Much Fiber Is Per 1/2 Cup?

Both products list 5g of dietary fiber per serving. Old El Paso Traditional shows 18% DV per 1/2 cup, while Rosarita's %DV for fiber was not disclosed.

Because Rosarita's percent Daily Value for fiber is missing, the two products cannot be compared on %DV for fiber. The gram figures are the same, so fiber does not separate these two cans on the labels available.

Are Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans Healthy?

The label cannot establish whether Rosarita Traditional is healthy; it lists 100 calories, 1g saturated fat, and 470mg sodium per 0.5 cup (128 g).

The Open Food Facts record also lists 2.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 15g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 1g sugars, 0g added sugars, and 5g protein for that serving. Most %DV figures for this product were not disclosed, because the record lists amounts only. This article does not rank it against Old El Paso on health.

The label cannot account for individual health conditions, medication interactions, or how a food fits into a wider eating pattern.

How to Check Your Can: Why the Old El Paso Label Records Conflict

Check the ingredient panel on the can in hand, because the current brand page and an older database record disagree on the fat source. The record may reflect an older can; its date was not disclosed.

A practical checklist:

• Find the ingredient list and look for "Soybean Oil" or "Lard."
• Compare the UPC on the can with the Open Food Facts record (0046000821214), which is a separate database entry from the current listing.
• Confirm the serving size. The brand page lists 1/2 cup, the Open Food Facts record gives 120 g for that measure, and the brand page gives no gram weight.
• Read the Nutrition Facts panel on the can, since the brand page notes that nutrition information can change.

Reading ingredient lines carefully matters across categories. Does Knorr Have MSG? Better Than Bouillon vs Knorr shows the same kind of check for bouillon labels.

Old El Paso vs Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans: At-a-Glance Table Per 1/2 Cup

The table below puts the two labels side by side using the serving sizes each source gives. Rosarita's serving is 0.5 cup (128 g), and Old El Paso's is 1/2 cup.

Factor	Old El Paso Traditional (1/2 cup)	Rosarita Traditional (0.5 cup, 128 g)
Fat source (ingredient list)	Soybean oil on current brand page; older Open Food Facts record lists lard	Lard
Calories	90	100
Total fat	1.5g (2% DV)	2.5g (%DV not disclosed)
Saturated fat	0g (0% DV)	1g (%DV not disclosed)
Trans fat	0g	0g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Sodium	440mg (19% DV)	470mg (about 20% DV, calculated)
Total carbohydrate	14g (5% DV)	15g (%DV not disclosed)
Dietary fiber	5g (18% DV)	5g (%DV not disclosed)
Total sugars	0g	1g
Added sugars	0g (0% DV)	0g (%DV not disclosed)
Potassium	270mg (6% DV)	530mg (%DV not disclosed)
Protein	5g	5g
Animal ingredient on listed ingredients	None on current brand page	Yes, lard
Allergen statement	Does Not Contain Declaration Obligatory Allergens	Not disclosed

The table shows what the labels state and where a figure was not disclosed. It does not show which product a shopper should prefer, and it does not replace the Nutrition Facts panel on the can in hand.

The evidence here is limited to two labels and one older database record. These sources cannot show how either product is made at every plant, whether formulas vary by region, or how these figures affect any individual. Open questions remain about when the Old El Paso fat source changed and whether lard versions remain on shelves.