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

Macaroni and cheese Sold in the United States

Pack of Banza White Cheddar Shells

It's processed, but not ultra-processed

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

Whole foods combined with:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Chickpea pasta (chickpeas), tapioca, pea protein, xanthan gum cheese (cheddar cheese, milk), salt, enzymes, nonfat milk, buttermilk, salt, disodium phosphate, lactic acid, whole milk, citric acid, silicon dioxide (anticaking)

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E339ii Disodium phosphate

As written on the pack

Chickpea pasta: chickpeas, tapioca, pea protein, xanthan gum cheese: cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), nonfat milk, buttermilk, salt, disodium phosphate, lactic acid, cultured whole milk, citric acid, silicon dioxide (anticaking).

What makes it processed

Processed ingredients

Processed foods in their own right, such as cheese or milk powder.

  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

Culinary ingredients

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

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

Category rules

Open Food Facts puts every product in this category in at least this group.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 48 macaroni and cheese

From least to most processed, this one ranks 3rd. 94% of the macaroni and cheese 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 48 macaroni and cheese, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0857183005656, last edited 3 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.
  • 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.