Is Cheez-It Smoked Gouda ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Flavouring
- Maltodextrin
- Whey
- E322 Lecithins
- E621 Monosodium glutamate
- E627 Disodium guanylate
- and 1 more
- 25 ingredients
- 9 additives
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
flour, vegetable oil (processing marker), white cheddar cheese (processing marker), gouda cheese (processing marker), cheddar cheese (processing marker), salt (processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), whey (ultra-processing marker), buttermilk, monosodium glutamate (ultra-processing marker), onion, molasses (processing marker), yeast, baking soda, yeast extract, disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), lactic acid, citric acid, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker), spice, paprika color, turmeric color, annatto extract color, soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E330 Citric acid , E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate , E621 Monosodium glutamate , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate
As written on the pack
enriched flour, vegetable oil, white cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, salt, maltodextrin, whey, buttermilk, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, molasses, yeast, baking soda, yeast extract, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, lactic acid, citric acid, natural flavor, spice, paprika extract color, turmeric extract color, annatto extract color, soy lecithin
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.
- 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.
- E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
- E627 Disodium guanylate Disodium guanylate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
- E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
- Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
- Whey Whey is the liquid left over from cheese making, usually dried into a powder and used as a cheap source of milk solids, protein and lactose.
4 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.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- 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.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0024100124183, last edited 21 March 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.