Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Arnott's Shapes Originals Cheese & Bacon ultra-processed?

180 g Crackers (Appetizers) Sold in Australia and New Zealand

Pack of Arnott's Shapes Originals Cheese & Bacon

Yes, it's ultra-processed

  1. 1 Unprocessed
  2. 2 Kitchen staple
  3. 3 Processed
  4. 4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

  • 42 ingredients
  • 13 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed crackers (Appetizers)

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

FLAVOURED BISCUITS Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Cheese 11% (Milk, Sali), Starch, Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Barle, Wheat), Yeast, Sugar, Vegetable Extract (Maize), Raising Agents (e341, e500), Milk, Worcestershire Sauce, Onion, Flavour, Flavour Enhancer (e635), Yeast Extract, Vegetable, Emulsifiers (e481, e322 From Soy), Bacon, Food Acid (e330), Colours (e124, e160b, e133, e120, e163), Antioxidants (e306 From Soy, e304), Malt Extract (From Barley)

Additives: E120 Cochineal , E124 Ponceau 4r , E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E160b Annatto , E163 Anthocyanins , E304 Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E322 Lecithins , E330 Citric acid , E341 Calcium phosphates , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate , E500 Sodium carbonates , E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E322 Lecithins.

As written on the pack

FLAVOURED BISCUITS Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oil, Cheese (11%) (Milk Solids, Sali), Starch, Salt, Yeast Extract (Contains Barle, Wheat), Yeast, Sugar, Vegetable Extract (Contains Soy, Maize), Raising Agents (E341, E500), Milk Solids, Worcestershire Sauce (Contains Wheat), Onion Powder, Flavour, Flavour Enhancer (E635), Yeast Extract, Vegetable Powder, Emulsifiers (E481, E322 From Soy), Bacon, Food Acid (E330), Colours (E124, E160b, E133 or E120, E163), Antioxidants (E306 From Soy, E304), Malt Extract (From Barley). MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF EGG, NUT AND SESAME.

What makes it ultra-processed

Cosmetic additives

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • E120 Cochineal Carmine is a red colour made from cochineal insects.
  • E124 Ponceau 4r Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E163 Anthocyanins Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
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  • E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E635 Disodium 5'-ribonucleotide A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
  • Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
7 ingredients that would only make it processed

Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.

  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Sauce A prepared sauce used as an ingredient.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 715 crackers (Appetizers)

From least to most processed, this one ranks 711th. 61% of the crackers (Appetizers) here are ultra-processed.

Ranked by NOVA group, then by the number of ultra-processing signs, additives and ingredients. Our ordering, not part of NOVA.

All 715 crackers (Appetizers), least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 9310072026275, last edited 22 January 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
  • Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
  • The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
  • NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.