Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Black Diamond Cheddar style slices ultra-processed?

Cheddar cheese Sold in Canada

Pack of Black Diamond Cheddar style slices

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 12 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed cheddar cheese

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

made from modified milk ingredients, water, cheese, milk, modified milk ingredients bacterial culture, salt, rennent, microbial enzyme, calcium chloride, annatto (colour, lipase, sorbic acid), glucose, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, salt carrageenan, sorbic acid, soy lecithin, annatto, apocarotenal (colour), citric acid, may contain carboxymethyl.cellulose, acetic acid, lactic acid

Additives: E1104 Lipase , E160b Annatto , E160e Beta-apo-8′-carotenal (c30) , E200 Sorbic acid , E260 Acetic acid , E270 Lactic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E407 Carrageenan , E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E407 Carrageenan, E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose.

As written on the pack

MADE FROM MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS, WATER, CHEESE (MILK, MODIFIED MILK INGREDIENTS BACTERIAL CULTURE, SALT, RENNENT AND/OR MICROBIAL ENZYME, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, ANNATTO (COLOUR, LIPASE, SORBIC ACID), GLUCOSE, SODIUM CITRATE AND/OR SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT CARRAGEENAN, SORBIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, ANNATTO AND/OR APOCAROTENAL (COLOUR), CITRIC ACID. MAY CONTAIN CARBOXYMETHYL.CELLULOSE, ACETIC ACID, LACTIC ACID. CONTAINS: MILK, SOY.

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.

  • E1104 Lipase A food additive authorised for industrial food production.
  • 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.
  • E160e Beta-apo-8′-carotenal (c30) 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.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E466 Sodium carboxy methyl cellulose Carboxymethyl cellulose is a thickener made by chemically modifying cellulose from wood or cotton.
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  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

Substances rarely used in home kitchens

Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
3 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.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 155 cheddar cheese

From least to most processed, this one ranks 155th. 28% of the cheddar 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 155 cheddar cheese, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0068200877808, last edited 8 June 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.