Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Banza Cheddar Shells ultra-processed?

Cheeses Sold in the United States

Pack of Banza Cheddar Shells

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:

  • 21 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed cheeses

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

chickpea pasta (chickpeas), tapioca, pea starch, tapioca, xanthan gum, cheese (cheddar cheese, milk), salt, enzymes, nonfat milk, buttermilk, butter (cream, salt), salt, disodium phosphate, annatto, paprika extract (color)

Additives: E160b Annatto , E160c Paprika extract , E339ii Disodium phosphate , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

chickpea pasta: chickpeas, tapioca, pea starch, tapioca, xanthan gum, cheese: cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), nonfat milk, buttermilk, butter (cream, salt), salt, disodium phosphate, annatto and paprika extract (color),

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.

  • 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.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
6 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.

  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" are at least group 3.
  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,223 cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1101st. 38% of the cheeses 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 1,223 cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0857183005151, last edited 24 September 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.