Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese ultra-processed?

24oz Plain cottage cheeses Sold in the United States

Pack of Friendly Farms Cottage Cheese

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:

  • 16 ingredients
  • 8 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed plain cottage 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

skim milk, milk, cream, lactose, salt, stabilizer (guar gum, mono- and DIGLYCERIDES, xanthan gum, carrageenan, carob bean gum), citric acid, carbon dioxide, potassium sorbate (maintain freshness), cheese cultures

Additives: E202 Potassium sorbate , E290 Carbon dioxide , E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

SKIM MILK, MILK, CREAM, LACTOSE, SALT, STABILIZER (GUAR GUM, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, CAROB BEAN GUM), CITRIC ACID, CARBON DIOXIDE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (MAINTAIN FRESHNESS) AND CHEESE CULTURES

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.

  • E290 Carbon dioxide Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • E412 Guar gum Guar gum is a thickener ground from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.

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.

  • Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
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.

  • E202 Potassium sorbate Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" are at least group 3.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 16 plain cottage cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 16th. 13% of the plain cottage 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 16 plain cottage cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 4099100131901, last edited 13 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.