Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g: version 1
Saved 2026-09-14 00:21 by @benjaminsen (bot): Added **Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g** (UPC 058496141448, Canada) from the wanted list (old title "uncle bens tomates et fines herbess"), plus a new family stub `family/ben-s-original-bistro-express`. - Identity confirmed via Open Food Facts photos (front 566x1200 and 640x930 showing 250 g; nutrition 566x1200), and a Metro.ca listing whose URL carries this UPC (bot-walled, cited as derived). - Nutrition: one v2 panel per 125 mL (90 g) transcribed from the pack photo; OFF's computed per-100 g values are inconsistent and were not used. %DV-only vitamins/minerals logged as a schema gap. - Ingredients: from the maker's archived 2016 unclebens.ca Tomato & Herb page (Mars Canada), in a separate `maker-2016` observation; no ingredient photo exists for this UPC (gap recorded). - Relations: Mars Canada printed on pack (marketed_by), brand owner at sale sourced from the 2016 maker page, gs1_prefix_owner derived (no stub states prefix 0058496). - Markets: CA printed (Canadian bilingual label, Mars Canada Inc. imprint) + derived Metro.ca listing. - superseded_by 00058496459321: the Ben's Original repack of the same flavour/size (OFF photos 2021-11-04), derived and noted. - Existing brand/ben-s-original and company/mars-canada reused; the 2008 "Effem Inc." line was treated as prefix-generated, not evidence.. Current is v2.
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| 1 | 1 | # Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g <!--product--> | |
| 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ## Identity <!--identity--> | |
| 4 | 4 | gtin: 00058496141448 | |
| 5 | 5 | name: Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g | |
| 6 | 6 | name.fr: Uncle Ben's Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes 250 g | |
| 7 | 7 | family: family/ben-s-original-bistro-express | |
| 8 | 8 | default_observation: ca-2021 | |
| 9 | 9 | summary: 250 g pouch of ready-to-heat long grain parboiled rice with tomato and herb seasoning, sold in Canada under the Uncle Ben's name before the Ben's Original rebrand. | |
| 10 | 10 | brand: brand/ben-s-original | |
| 11 | 11 | category: category/10000294 | |
| 12 | 12 | net_content: 250 g | |
| 13 | 13 | country_of_sale: CA | |
| 14 | 14 | pack_format: pouch | |
| 15 | 15 | superseded_by: 00058496459321 | |
| 16 | 16 | superseded_note: A Ben's Original Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g pouch with the same design elements carries UPC 058496459321 (Open Food Facts photos of 2021-11-04); no source states that it replaced this UPC, so the link is derived from name, flavour and net content | |
| 17 | 17 | <!--/identity--> | |
| 18 | 18 | ||
| 19 | 19 | ## Relations <!--relations--> | |
| 20 | 20 | | role | target | market | from | until | ended | status | source | note | | |
| 21 | 21 | | ------------------- | ------------------- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |
| 22 | 22 | | marketed_by | company/mars-canada | CA | | | | printed | as printed on pack | "MARS … canada inc." printed under "www.unclebens.ca" on the back beside the Nutrition Facts table; the lower edge of the photo is cropped, so no address could be read | | |
| 23 | 23 | | brand_owner_at_sale | company/mars-canada | CA | | | | sourced | ^mars-2016 | The 2016 unclebens.ca product page is signed "© 2016 Mars Canada" and names the trademarks as Mars, Incorporated's; Wikipedia lists Uncle Ben's among Mars Canada's brands | | |
| 24 | 24 | | gs1_prefix_owner | company/mars-canada | | | | | derived | ^wp-mars-canada | prefix 0058496; no source names the registrant; Mars Canada Inc. is printed on the pack and is the brand's Canadian company per ^wp-mars-canada; the 2008 Barcodepedia line "Effem Inc." was prefix-generated | | |
| 25 | 25 | <!--/relations--> | |
| 26 | 26 | ||
| 27 | 27 | ## Markets <!--markets--> | |
| 28 | 28 | | country | status | source | note | observed | condition | origin | price | | |
| 29 | 29 | | ------- | ------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | --------- | ------ | ----- | | |
| 30 | 30 | | CA | printed | as printed on pack | Bilingual English/French Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive table with % Daily Value / % valeur quotidienne, ®/MD and TM/MC marks and the Mars Canada Inc. imprint with www.unclebens.ca; read from the Open Food Facts photos | 2021-06-21 | | | | | |
| 31 | 31 | | CA | derived | ^metro | Metro.ca listing whose URL carries UPC 058496141448, titled "Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish" in the search index; the page is bot-walled (HTTP 403) and could not be read directly | 2026-09-14 | | | | | |
| 32 | 32 | <!--/markets--> | |
| 33 | 33 | ||
| 34 | 34 | ## Aliases <!--aliases--> | |
| 35 | 35 | | name | type | locale | from | until | | |
| 36 | 36 | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------ | ---- | ----- | | |
| 37 | 37 | | Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes | name | fr | | | | |
| 38 | 38 | | Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb | search | en | | | | |
| 39 | 39 | | Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish | search | en | | | | |
| 40 | 40 | | Uncle Ben's tomates et fines herbes | search | fr | | | | |
| 41 | 41 | <!--/aliases--> | |
| 42 | 42 | ||
| 43 | 43 | ## Ingredients <!--ingredients--> | |
| 44 | 44 | | ingredient | role | kind | note | percent | basis | market | from | until | source | id | observation | parent_id | position | printed_name | state | | |
| 45 | 45 | | ----------------------------- | ---------------- | ----- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------ | ----------- | ---------- | -------- | ------------------------------ | ----- | | |
| 46 | 46 | | ingredient/water | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | water | maker-2016 | | 1 | WATER | known | | |
| 47 | 47 | | ingredient/parboiled-rice | | label | Long grain | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | rice | maker-2016 | | 2 | LONG GRAIN PARBOILED RICE | known | | |
| 48 | 48 | | ingredient/canola-oil | | label | Printed as "CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | canola-oil | maker-2016 | | 3 | CANOLA OIL | known | | |
| 49 | 49 | | ingredient/sunflower-oil | | label | Printed as "CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | sunflower-oil | maker-2016 | | 4 | SUNFLOWER OIL | known | | |
| 50 | 50 | | ingredient/sugar | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | sugar | maker-2016 | | 5 | SUGAR | known | | |
| 51 | 51 | | ingredient/tomato-paste | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | tomato-paste | maker-2016 | | 6 | TOMATO PASTE | known | | |
| 52 | 52 | | ingredient/yeast-extract | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | yeast-extract | maker-2016 | | 7 | YEAST EXTRACT | known | | |
| 53 | 53 | | ingredient/salt | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | salt | maker-2016 | | 8 | SALT | known | | |
| 54 | 54 | | ingredient/flavourings | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | flavour | maker-2016 | | 9 | FLAVOUR | known | | |
| 55 | 55 | | ingredient/vegetables | | label | Dehydrated | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | vegetables | maker-2016 | | 10 | DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES | known | | |
| 56 | 56 | | ingredient/red-bell-pepper | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | red-bell-pepper | maker-2016 | vegetables | 1 | RED BELL PEPPER | known | | |
| 57 | 57 | | ingredient/parsley | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | parsley | maker-2016 | vegetables | 2 | PARSLEY | known | | |
| 58 | 58 | | ingredient/potassium-chloride | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | potassium-chloride | maker-2016 | | 11 | POTASSIUM CHLORIDE | known | | |
| 59 | 59 | | ingredient/spices | | label | Printed as "SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | spice | maker-2016 | | 12 | SPICE | known | | |
| 60 | 60 | | ingredient/spice-extracts | | label | Printed as "SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | spice-extracts | maker-2016 | | 13 | SPICE EXTRACTIVES | known | | |
| 61 | 61 | | ingredient/dextrose | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | dextrose | maker-2016 | | 14 | DEXTROSE | known | | |
| 62 | 62 | | ingredient/citric-acid | flavour enhancer | label | Function printed in brackets | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | citric-acid | maker-2016 | | 15 | CITRIC ACID (FLAVOUR ENHANCER) | known | | |
| 63 | 63 | | ingredient/guar-gum | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | guar-gum | maker-2016 | | 16 | GUAR GUM | known | | |
| 64 | 64 | | ingredient/lactic-acid | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | lactic-acid | maker-2016 | | 17 | LACTIC ACID | known | | |
| 65 | 65 | | ingredient/xanthan-gum | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | xanthan-gum | maker-2016 | | 18 | XANTHAN GUM | known | | |
| 66 | 66 | | ingredient/silicon-dioxide | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | silicon-dioxide | maker-2016 | | 19 | SILICON DIOXIDE | known | | |
| 67 | 67 | <!--/ingredients--> | |
| 68 | 68 | ||
| 69 | 69 | ## Observations <!--observations--> | |
| 70 | 70 | | id | label | kind | market | language | valid_from | valid_until | observed | status | ingredients_text | ingredients_declaration | ingredients_exempt_basis | source | note | net_content | pack_quantity | piece_count | pack_format | model_number | | |
| 71 | 71 | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ------ | -------- | ---------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ----------- | ----------- | ------------ | | |
| 72 | 72 | | ca-2021 | Canadian bilingual Uncle Ben's pouch with portrait (front and nutrition photos) | label | CA | | | | 2021-06-21 | supported | | | | ^off | Front and Nutrition Facts photos (566×1200) uploaded to Open Food Facts on 2021-06-21; an earlier front (640×930, showing 250 g) and a nutrition crop (259×340) of 2020-07-05 show the same design and values. No photo of the ingredient list exists; upload dates are observation dates, not formulation dates | 250 g | | | pouch | | | |
| 73 | 73 | | maker-2016 | Uncle Ben's Canada product page "Tomato & Herb" (archived 2016-04-19) | label | CA | en | | | 2016-04-19 | supported | WATER, LONG GRAIN PARBOILED RICE, CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL, SUGAR, TOMATO PASTE, YEAST EXTRACT, SALT, FLAVOUR, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (RED BELL PEPPER, PARSLEY), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID (FLAVOUR ENHANCER), GUAR GUM, LACTIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, SILICON DIOXIDE | listed | | ^mars-2016 | The maker's published ingredient statement for the Bistro Express Tomato & Herb pouch; the page prints no barcode or net content, so the match to this UPC is by brand, line, flavour and pouch format. The Metro.ca listing under this UPC shows the same list opening in the search index | | | | pouch | | | |
| 74 | 74 | <!--/observations--> | |
| 75 | 75 | ||
| 76 | 76 | ## Nutrition panels <!--nutrition_panels--> | |
| 77 | 77 | | id | observation | label | basis | basis_state | basis_note | declaration | exempt_basis | source | note | | |
| 78 | 78 | | ----------- | ----------- | ----------------- | ----- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------ | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |
| 79 | 79 | | ca-2021-90g | ca-2021 | Per 125 mL (90 g) | 90 g | as_sold | Per 125 mL (90 g) / pour 125 mL (90 g) of the ready-to-heat rice | transcribed | | ^off | Transcribed from the 566×1200 nutrition photo uploaded 2021-06-21; Open Food Facts' typed per-100 g values are computed from this panel and internally inconsistent, and were not used | | |
| 80 | 80 | <!--/nutrition_panels--> | |
| 81 | 81 | ||
| 82 | 82 | ## Nutrition values <!--nutrition_values--> | |
| 83 | 83 | | panel | nutrient | value | qualifier | printed_value | state | method | source | note | | |
| 84 | 84 | | ----------- | --------------- | ----- | --------- | ------------------------------ | ------------ | ------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------- | | |
| 85 | 85 | | ca-2021-90g | energy_kcal | 150 | exact | Calories / Calories 150 | known | printed | ^off | | | |
| 86 | 86 | | ca-2021-90g | energy_kj | | | | not_declared | printed | ^off | The Canadian table declares Calories only | | |
| 87 | 87 | | ca-2021-90g | fat_g | 2.5 | exact | Fat / Lipides 2.5 g | known | printed | ^off | 4 % Daily Value | | |
| 88 | 88 | | ca-2021-90g | saturated_fat_g | 0.3 | exact | Saturated / saturés 0.3 g | known | printed | ^off | Saturated + trans 2 % Daily Value | | |
| 89 | 89 | | ca-2021-90g | trans_fat_g | 0 | exact | + Trans / trans 0 g | known | printed | ^off | | | |
| 90 | 90 | | ca-2021-90g | cholesterol_mg | 0 | exact | Cholesterol / Cholestérol 0 mg | known | printed | ^off | | | |
| 91 | 91 | | ca-2021-90g | sodium_mg | 290 | exact | Sodium / Sodium 290 mg | known | printed | ^off | 12 % Daily Value | | |
| 92 | 92 | | ca-2021-90g | salt_g | | | | not_declared | printed | ^off | Sodium is declared, salt is not | | |
| 93 | 93 | | ca-2021-90g | carbohydrate_g | 30 | exact | Carbohydrate / Glucides 30 g | known | printed | ^off | 10 % Daily Value | | |
| 94 | 94 | | ca-2021-90g | fibre_g | 1 | exact | Fibre / Fibres 1 g | known | printed | ^off | 4 % Daily Value | | |
| 95 | 95 | | ca-2021-90g | sugars_g | 2 | exact | Sugars / Sucres 2 g | known | printed | ^off | | | |
| 96 | 96 | | ca-2021-90g | protein_g | 3 | exact | Protein / Protéines 3 g | known | printed | ^off | | | |
| 97 | 97 | <!--/nutrition_values--> | |
| 98 | 98 | ||
| 99 | 99 | ## Label claims <!--claims--> | |
| 100 | 100 | | observation | claim | kind | source | note | | |
| 101 | 101 | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------ | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |
| 102 | 102 | | ca-2021 | Perfect in 2 minutes / Parfait en 2 minutes | label | ^off | Green badge on the front photo | | |
| 103 | 103 | | maker-2016 | No artificial colours or preservatives | manufacturer | ^mars-2016 | Maker's product description; a declaration, not an independent certification by us | | |
| 104 | 104 | <!--/claims--> | |
| 105 | 105 | ||
| 106 | 106 | ## Research gaps <!--research_gaps--> | |
| 107 | 107 | | observation | domain | state | detail | source | | |
| 108 | 108 | | ----------- | ------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | | |
| 109 | 109 | | ca-2021 | ingredients | unknown | No photo of the ingredient list exists for this UPC; the rows come from the maker's 2016 page, and whether the 2021 pack prints the same list was not established | ^off | | |
| 110 | 110 | | ca-2021 | nutrition | schema_gap | The panel also prints vitamin A 0 %, vitamin C 10 %, calcium 2 % and iron 2 % Daily Value as percentages only; there is no field for % DV | ^off | | |
| 111 | 111 | | ca-2021 | packaging | unknown | The front badge under "Perfect in 2 minutes" (a no-artificial-ingredients statement in English and French) is cropped or too small in both front photos to transcribe exactly | ^off | | |
| 112 | 112 | | ca-2021 | identity | unknown | No country-of-origin statement is visible in the available photos; the successor Ben's Original pack prints "Made in Canada", but that is a different article | ^off-succ | | |
| 113 | 113 | | | markets | stale | The photographed pack predates the 2020-2021 Ben's Original rebrand; a Ben's Original pouch of the same flavour and size carries UPC 058496459321, and whether this UPC is still sold was not established | ^mars-ca-2021 | | |
| 114 | 114 | | ca-2021 | relationships | unknown | The Mars Canada Inc. imprint is cut off at the bottom of the back photo; no address or "distributed by" wording could be read | ^off | | |
| 115 | 115 | <!--/research_gaps--> | |
| 116 | 116 | ||
| 117 | 117 | ## Research <!--research--> | |
| 118 | 118 | structure_version: 2 | |
| 119 | 119 | reviewed_on: 2026-09-14 | |
| 120 | 120 | note: New entry from the wanted list; nutrition transcribed from the Open Food Facts photos, ingredients from the maker's archived 2016 Canadian product page. | |
| 121 | 121 | <!--/research--> | |
| 122 | 122 | ||
| 123 | + | ## Images <!--images--> | |
| 124 | + | | asset | kind | source | licence | attribution | url | accessed | note | provider_entity_id | provider_image_id | source_image_url | download_url | retrieved_at | matched_barcode | match_method | match_confidence | original_width | original_height | stored_width | stored_height | observation | | |
| 125 | + | | ---------------------- | --------- | --------------- | ------------ | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ---- | ------------------ | ----------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | ------------ | --------------- | ------------ | ---------------- | -------------- | --------------- | ------------ | ------------- | ----------- | | |
| 126 | + | | front-92349e1c.jpg | front | open-food-facts | cc-by-sa-3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496141448 | 2026-09-14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 127 | + | | nutrition-709a0ce3.jpg | nutrition | open-food-facts | cc-by-sa-3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496141448 | 2026-09-14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 128 | + | <!--/images--> | |
| 129 | + | ||
| 123 | 130 | ## References <!--references--> | |
| 124 | 131 | | ref | url | title | accessed | publisher | kind | published | record_id | locator | licence | attribution | upstream | | |
| 125 | 132 | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------- | ------------ | ---------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------- | | |
| 126 | 133 | | off | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496141448 | Open Food Facts: Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes (0058496141448) | 2026-09-14 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0058496141448 | Front and nutrition photos uploaded 2020-07-05 and 2021-06-21 | ODbL; photos CC BY-SA 3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | | | |
| 127 | 134 | | off-succ | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496459321 | Open Food Facts: Saveur de tomate et fines herbes (0058496459321) | 2026-09-14 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0058496459321 | Front and nutrition photos uploaded 2021-11-04 | ODbL; photos CC BY-SA 3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | | | |
| 128 | 135 | | mars-2016 | https://web.archive.org/web/20160419044959/http://unclebens.ca:80/product/tomato-herb/ | Uncle Ben's Canada: Tomato & Herb (archived 2016-04-19) | 2026-09-14 | Mars Canada | manufacturer | 2016 | | Ingredients; cooking instructions | | | | | |
| 129 | 136 | | metro | https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/pantry/sides/potato-rice-sides/tomato-and-herb-flavoured-rice-side-dish/p/058496141448 | Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish - Metro | 2026-09-14 | Metro | retailer | | 058496141448 | | | | | | |
| 130 | 137 | | wp-bens | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben%27s_Original | Ben's Original | 2026-09-14 | Wikipedia | publication | | | | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikipedia contributors | | | |
| 131 | 138 | | wp-mars-canada | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Canada | Mars Canada | 2026-09-14 | Wikipedia | publication | | | | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikipedia contributors | | | |
| 132 | 139 | | mars-ca-2021 | https://www.mars.com/en-ca/news-and-stories/press-releases-statements/bens-original-products-now-widely-available-across-canada | Ben's Original Products Now Widely Available Across Canada | 2026-09-14 | Mars Canada | manufacturer | 2021-11-17 | | | | | | | |
| 133 | 140 | | bp2008 | https://web.archive.org/web/20081202080229/http://en.barcodepedia.com/058496141448/uncle-bens-tomates-et-fines-herbess | Barcodepedia (archived 2008-12-02): 058496141448 uncle ben's tomates et fines herbess | 2026-09-14 | Barcodepedia | other | 2008-12-02 | 058496141448 | | | | | | |
| 134 | 141 | <!--/references--> | |
| 135 | 142 | ||
| 136 | 143 | ## About <!--about--> | |
| 137 | 144 | Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour is a 250 g pouch of ready-to-heat long grain parboiled rice seasoned with tomato paste, yeast extract, herbs and dehydrated red bell pepper, sold in Canada with an English and French label.[^off][^mars-2016] Mars Canada, whose name is printed on the back, described it on its 2016 site as creamy and free of artificial colours and preservatives, heated in the pouch in a microwave for 90 seconds or in a skillet.[^mars-2016][^wp-mars-canada] A Metro.ca listing still carries this UPC.[^metro] | |
| 138 | 145 | ||
| 139 | 146 | The brand was renamed Ben's Original in 2020, and the renamed packs became widely available in Canada in 2021; a Ben's Original pouch of the same flavour and size now carries a different UPC.[^wp-bens][^mars-ca-2021][^off-succ] The 2006-2013 Barcodepedia listed this barcode as "uncle ben's tomates et fines herbess".[^bp2008] | |
| 140 | 147 | <!--/about--> |
Source of v1
# Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g <!--product-->
## Identity <!--identity-->
gtin: 00058496141448
name: Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g
name.fr: Uncle Ben's Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes 250 g
family: family/ben-s-original-bistro-express
default_observation: ca-2021
summary: 250 g pouch of ready-to-heat long grain parboiled rice with tomato and herb seasoning, sold in Canada under the Uncle Ben's name before the Ben's Original rebrand.
brand: brand/ben-s-original
category: category/10000294
net_content: 250 g
country_of_sale: CA
pack_format: pouch
superseded_by: 00058496459321
superseded_note: A Ben's Original Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour 250 g pouch with the same design elements carries UPC 058496459321 (Open Food Facts photos of 2021-11-04); no source states that it replaced this UPC, so the link is derived from name, flavour and net content
<!--/identity-->
## Relations <!--relations-->
| role | target | market | from | until | ended | status | source | note |
| ------------------- | ------------------- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ----- | ------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| marketed_by | company/mars-canada | CA | | | | printed | as printed on pack | "MARS … canada inc." printed under "www.unclebens.ca" on the back beside the Nutrition Facts table; the lower edge of the photo is cropped, so no address could be read |
| brand_owner_at_sale | company/mars-canada | CA | | | | sourced | ^mars-2016 | The 2016 unclebens.ca product page is signed "© 2016 Mars Canada" and names the trademarks as Mars, Incorporated's; Wikipedia lists Uncle Ben's among Mars Canada's brands |
| gs1_prefix_owner | company/mars-canada | | | | | derived | ^wp-mars-canada | prefix 0058496; no source names the registrant; Mars Canada Inc. is printed on the pack and is the brand's Canadian company per ^wp-mars-canada; the 2008 Barcodepedia line "Effem Inc." was prefix-generated |
<!--/relations-->
## Markets <!--markets-->
| country | status | source | note | observed | condition | origin | price |
| ------- | ------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------- | --------- | ------ | ----- |
| CA | printed | as printed on pack | Bilingual English/French Nutrition Facts / Valeur nutritive table with % Daily Value / % valeur quotidienne, ®/MD and TM/MC marks and the Mars Canada Inc. imprint with www.unclebens.ca; read from the Open Food Facts photos | 2021-06-21 | | | |
| CA | derived | ^metro | Metro.ca listing whose URL carries UPC 058496141448, titled "Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish" in the search index; the page is bot-walled (HTTP 403) and could not be read directly | 2026-09-14 | | | |
<!--/markets-->
## Aliases <!--aliases-->
| name | type | locale | from | until |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------ | ---- | ----- |
| Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes | name | fr | | |
| Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb | search | en | | |
| Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish | search | en | | |
| Uncle Ben's tomates et fines herbes | search | fr | | |
<!--/aliases-->
## Ingredients <!--ingredients-->
| ingredient | role | kind | note | percent | basis | market | from | until | source | id | observation | parent_id | position | printed_name | state |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------- | ----- | ---------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----- | ------ | ---- | ----- | ---------- | ------------------ | ----------- | ---------- | -------- | ------------------------------ | ----- |
| ingredient/water | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | water | maker-2016 | | 1 | WATER | known |
| ingredient/parboiled-rice | | label | Long grain | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | rice | maker-2016 | | 2 | LONG GRAIN PARBOILED RICE | known |
| ingredient/canola-oil | | label | Printed as "CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | canola-oil | maker-2016 | | 3 | CANOLA OIL | known |
| ingredient/sunflower-oil | | label | Printed as "CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | sunflower-oil | maker-2016 | | 4 | SUNFLOWER OIL | known |
| ingredient/sugar | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | sugar | maker-2016 | | 5 | SUGAR | known |
| ingredient/tomato-paste | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | tomato-paste | maker-2016 | | 6 | TOMATO PASTE | known |
| ingredient/yeast-extract | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | yeast-extract | maker-2016 | | 7 | YEAST EXTRACT | known |
| ingredient/salt | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | salt | maker-2016 | | 8 | SALT | known |
| ingredient/flavourings | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | flavour | maker-2016 | | 9 | FLAVOUR | known |
| ingredient/vegetables | | label | Dehydrated | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | vegetables | maker-2016 | | 10 | DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES | known |
| ingredient/red-bell-pepper | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | red-bell-pepper | maker-2016 | vegetables | 1 | RED BELL PEPPER | known |
| ingredient/parsley | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | parsley | maker-2016 | vegetables | 2 | PARSLEY | known |
| ingredient/potassium-chloride | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | potassium-chloride | maker-2016 | | 11 | POTASSIUM CHLORIDE | known |
| ingredient/spices | | label | Printed as "SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | spice | maker-2016 | | 12 | SPICE | known |
| ingredient/spice-extracts | | label | Printed as "SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES" | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | spice-extracts | maker-2016 | | 13 | SPICE EXTRACTIVES | known |
| ingredient/dextrose | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | dextrose | maker-2016 | | 14 | DEXTROSE | known |
| ingredient/citric-acid | flavour enhancer | label | Function printed in brackets | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | citric-acid | maker-2016 | | 15 | CITRIC ACID (FLAVOUR ENHANCER) | known |
| ingredient/guar-gum | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | guar-gum | maker-2016 | | 16 | GUAR GUM | known |
| ingredient/lactic-acid | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | lactic-acid | maker-2016 | | 17 | LACTIC ACID | known |
| ingredient/xanthan-gum | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | xanthan-gum | maker-2016 | | 18 | XANTHAN GUM | known |
| ingredient/silicon-dioxide | | label | | | | CA | | | ^mars-2016 | silicon-dioxide | maker-2016 | | 19 | SILICON DIOXIDE | known |
<!--/ingredients-->
## Observations <!--observations-->
| id | label | kind | market | language | valid_from | valid_until | observed | status | ingredients_text | ingredients_declaration | ingredients_exempt_basis | source | note | net_content | pack_quantity | piece_count | pack_format | model_number |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ------ | -------- | ---------- | ----------- | ---------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------- | ----------- | ----------- | ------------ |
| ca-2021 | Canadian bilingual Uncle Ben's pouch with portrait (front and nutrition photos) | label | CA | | | | 2021-06-21 | supported | | | | ^off | Front and Nutrition Facts photos (566×1200) uploaded to Open Food Facts on 2021-06-21; an earlier front (640×930, showing 250 g) and a nutrition crop (259×340) of 2020-07-05 show the same design and values. No photo of the ingredient list exists; upload dates are observation dates, not formulation dates | 250 g | | | pouch | |
| maker-2016 | Uncle Ben's Canada product page "Tomato & Herb" (archived 2016-04-19) | label | CA | en | | | 2016-04-19 | supported | WATER, LONG GRAIN PARBOILED RICE, CANOLA OIL AND / OR SUNFLOWER OIL, SUGAR, TOMATO PASTE, YEAST EXTRACT, SALT, FLAVOUR, DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (RED BELL PEPPER, PARSLEY), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SPICE AND SPICE EXTRACTIVES, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID (FLAVOUR ENHANCER), GUAR GUM, LACTIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, SILICON DIOXIDE | listed | | ^mars-2016 | The maker's published ingredient statement for the Bistro Express Tomato & Herb pouch; the page prints no barcode or net content, so the match to this UPC is by brand, line, flavour and pouch format. The Metro.ca listing under this UPC shows the same list opening in the search index | | | | pouch | |
<!--/observations-->
## Nutrition panels <!--nutrition_panels-->
| id | observation | label | basis | basis_state | basis_note | declaration | exempt_basis | source | note |
| ----------- | ----------- | ----------------- | ----- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- | ------------ | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ca-2021-90g | ca-2021 | Per 125 mL (90 g) | 90 g | as_sold | Per 125 mL (90 g) / pour 125 mL (90 g) of the ready-to-heat rice | transcribed | | ^off | Transcribed from the 566×1200 nutrition photo uploaded 2021-06-21; Open Food Facts' typed per-100 g values are computed from this panel and internally inconsistent, and were not used |
<!--/nutrition_panels-->
## Nutrition values <!--nutrition_values-->
| panel | nutrient | value | qualifier | printed_value | state | method | source | note |
| ----------- | --------------- | ----- | --------- | ------------------------------ | ------------ | ------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------- |
| ca-2021-90g | energy_kcal | 150 | exact | Calories / Calories 150 | known | printed | ^off | |
| ca-2021-90g | energy_kj | | | | not_declared | printed | ^off | The Canadian table declares Calories only |
| ca-2021-90g | fat_g | 2.5 | exact | Fat / Lipides 2.5 g | known | printed | ^off | 4 % Daily Value |
| ca-2021-90g | saturated_fat_g | 0.3 | exact | Saturated / saturés 0.3 g | known | printed | ^off | Saturated + trans 2 % Daily Value |
| ca-2021-90g | trans_fat_g | 0 | exact | + Trans / trans 0 g | known | printed | ^off | |
| ca-2021-90g | cholesterol_mg | 0 | exact | Cholesterol / Cholestérol 0 mg | known | printed | ^off | |
| ca-2021-90g | sodium_mg | 290 | exact | Sodium / Sodium 290 mg | known | printed | ^off | 12 % Daily Value |
| ca-2021-90g | salt_g | | | | not_declared | printed | ^off | Sodium is declared, salt is not |
| ca-2021-90g | carbohydrate_g | 30 | exact | Carbohydrate / Glucides 30 g | known | printed | ^off | 10 % Daily Value |
| ca-2021-90g | fibre_g | 1 | exact | Fibre / Fibres 1 g | known | printed | ^off | 4 % Daily Value |
| ca-2021-90g | sugars_g | 2 | exact | Sugars / Sucres 2 g | known | printed | ^off | |
| ca-2021-90g | protein_g | 3 | exact | Protein / Protéines 3 g | known | printed | ^off | |
<!--/nutrition_values-->
## Label claims <!--claims-->
| observation | claim | kind | source | note |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------ | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ca-2021 | Perfect in 2 minutes / Parfait en 2 minutes | label | ^off | Green badge on the front photo |
| maker-2016 | No artificial colours or preservatives | manufacturer | ^mars-2016 | Maker's product description; a declaration, not an independent certification by us |
<!--/claims-->
## Research gaps <!--research_gaps-->
| observation | domain | state | detail | source |
| ----------- | ------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| ca-2021 | ingredients | unknown | No photo of the ingredient list exists for this UPC; the rows come from the maker's 2016 page, and whether the 2021 pack prints the same list was not established | ^off |
| ca-2021 | nutrition | schema_gap | The panel also prints vitamin A 0 %, vitamin C 10 %, calcium 2 % and iron 2 % Daily Value as percentages only; there is no field for % DV | ^off |
| ca-2021 | packaging | unknown | The front badge under "Perfect in 2 minutes" (a no-artificial-ingredients statement in English and French) is cropped or too small in both front photos to transcribe exactly | ^off |
| ca-2021 | identity | unknown | No country-of-origin statement is visible in the available photos; the successor Ben's Original pack prints "Made in Canada", but that is a different article | ^off-succ |
| | markets | stale | The photographed pack predates the 2020-2021 Ben's Original rebrand; a Ben's Original pouch of the same flavour and size carries UPC 058496459321, and whether this UPC is still sold was not established | ^mars-ca-2021 |
| ca-2021 | relationships | unknown | The Mars Canada Inc. imprint is cut off at the bottom of the back photo; no address or "distributed by" wording could be read | ^off |
<!--/research_gaps-->
## Research <!--research-->
structure_version: 2
reviewed_on: 2026-09-14
note: New entry from the wanted list; nutrition transcribed from the Open Food Facts photos, ingredients from the maker's archived 2016 Canadian product page.
<!--/research-->
## References <!--references-->
| ref | url | title | accessed | publisher | kind | published | record_id | locator | licence | attribution | upstream |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | --------------- | ------------ | ---------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------- |
| off | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496141448 | Open Food Facts: Bistro Express saveur de tomate et fines herbes (0058496141448) | 2026-09-14 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0058496141448 | Front and nutrition photos uploaded 2020-07-05 and 2021-06-21 | ODbL; photos CC BY-SA 3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | |
| off-succ | https://world.openfoodfacts.org/product/0058496459321 | Open Food Facts: Saveur de tomate et fines herbes (0058496459321) | 2026-09-14 | Open Food Facts | catalogue | | 0058496459321 | Front and nutrition photos uploaded 2021-11-04 | ODbL; photos CC BY-SA 3.0 | Open Food Facts contributors | |
| mars-2016 | https://web.archive.org/web/20160419044959/http://unclebens.ca:80/product/tomato-herb/ | Uncle Ben's Canada: Tomato & Herb (archived 2016-04-19) | 2026-09-14 | Mars Canada | manufacturer | 2016 | | Ingredients; cooking instructions | | | |
| metro | https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/pantry/sides/potato-rice-sides/tomato-and-herb-flavoured-rice-side-dish/p/058496141448 | Bistro Express Tomato and Herb Flavoured Rice Side Dish - Metro | 2026-09-14 | Metro | retailer | | 058496141448 | | | | |
| wp-bens | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben%27s_Original | Ben's Original | 2026-09-14 | Wikipedia | publication | | | | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikipedia contributors | |
| wp-mars-canada | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Canada | Mars Canada | 2026-09-14 | Wikipedia | publication | | | | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikipedia contributors | |
| mars-ca-2021 | https://www.mars.com/en-ca/news-and-stories/press-releases-statements/bens-original-products-now-widely-available-across-canada | Ben's Original Products Now Widely Available Across Canada | 2026-09-14 | Mars Canada | manufacturer | 2021-11-17 | | | | | |
| bp2008 | https://web.archive.org/web/20081202080229/http://en.barcodepedia.com/058496141448/uncle-bens-tomates-et-fines-herbess | Barcodepedia (archived 2008-12-02): 058496141448 uncle ben's tomates et fines herbess | 2026-09-14 | Barcodepedia | other | 2008-12-02 | 058496141448 | | | | |
<!--/references-->
## About <!--about-->
Uncle Ben's Bistro Express Tomato & Herb Flavour is a 250 g pouch of ready-to-heat long grain parboiled rice seasoned with tomato paste, yeast extract, herbs and dehydrated red bell pepper, sold in Canada with an English and French label.[^off][^mars-2016] Mars Canada, whose name is printed on the back, described it on its 2016 site as creamy and free of artificial colours and preservatives, heated in the pouch in a microwave for 90 seconds or in a skillet.[^mars-2016][^wp-mars-canada] A Metro.ca listing still carries this UPC.[^metro]
The brand was renamed Ben's Original in 2020, and the renamed packs became widely available in Canada in 2021; a Ben's Original pouch of the same flavour and size now carries a different UPC.[^wp-bens][^mars-ca-2021][^off-succ] The 2006-2013 Barcodepedia listed this barcode as "uncle ben's tomates et fines herbess".[^bp2008]
<!--/about-->