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Is Great Value Premium shells & cheese, original ultra-processed?

Pasta dishes Sold in the United States

Pack of Great Value Premium shells & cheese, original

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:

  • 30 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed pasta dishes

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

Enriched macaroni product (Wheat flower, Niacin, Ferrous sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic acid), Cheddar cheese sauce (Skim milk, Cheddar cheese (milk, Cheese culture, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Canola oil, Whey, Maltodextrin, Soybean oil, Sodium phosphate, Contains 2% and less of (Salt), Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Paprika extract, Lactic acid, Sodium alginate, mono- and Diglycerides, Xantham gum, Sorbic acid)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E200 Sorbic acid , E270 Lactic acid , E401 Sodium alginate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Enriched macaroni product (Wheat flower, Niacin, Ferrous sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic acid), Cheddar cheese sauce (Skim milk, Cheddar cheese [Pasteurized milk, Cheese culture, Salt, Enzymes], Water, Canola oil, Whey, Maltodextrin, Soybean oil, Sodium phosphate, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Paprika extract, Lactic acid, Sodium alginate, Mono - and Diglycerides, Xantham gum, Sorbic acid).

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E401 Sodium alginate A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • 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.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Microbial culture Microbial cultures ferment foods such as yoghurt, cheese and sourdough.
  • Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 543 pasta dishes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 483rd. 73% of the pasta dishes 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 543 pasta dishes, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0078742433134, last edited 30 June 2025), 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.