Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Hormel Chicken Alfredo ultra-processed?

283 g Pasta dishes Sold in the United States

Pack of Hormel Chicken Alfredo

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:

  • 64 ingredients
  • 11 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

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

water, penne pasta (water, durum wheat, egg whites, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), white chicken meat, water, modified food starch, salt, sodium phosphates, aleredo sauce (water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, mozzarella cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), food starch, stabilizer (modified food starch), sodium alginate, datem, locust bean gum, guar gum, maltodextrin, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, salt, sorbic acid (preservatives)), cream (contains carrageenan), CONTAINS 2% and LESS OF SOYBEAN OIL, rice starch, potato starch, butter, flavoring, salt, romano cheese (cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), potassium chloride, flavor (maltodextrin, whey (from milk)), milk protein concentrate (nonfat milk, milk protein), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, spices, titanium dioxide (color), cream of tartar

Additives: E171 Titanium dioxide , E200 Sorbic acid , E336 Potassium tartrates , E336i Monopotassium tartrate , E401 Sodium alginate , E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum , E412 Guar gum , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate

As written on the pack

WATER, PENNE PASTA (WATER, DURUM WHEAT, EGG WHITES, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMINE, MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHITE CHICKEN MEAT, WATER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATES), ALEREDO SAUCE (WATER, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, MOZZARELLA CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES], FOOD STARCH, STABILIZER [MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SODIUM ALGINATE, DATEM, LOCUST BEAN GUM, GUAR GUM, MALTODEXTRIN], NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SALT, SORBIC ACID [PRESERVATIVES]), CREAM (CONTAINS CARRAGEENAN), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF SOYBEAN OIL, RICE STARCH, POTATO STARCH, BUTTER, FLAVORING, SALT, ROMANO CHEESE (PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, CULTURED WHEY [FROM MILK]), MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE (NONFAT MILK, MILK PROTEIN), DISODIUM INOSINATE AND DISODIUM GUANYLATE, SPICES, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), CREAM OF TARTAR.

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.

  • E171 Titanium dioxide Titanium dioxide is a white pigment.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
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  • 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.

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.
  • Milk proteins Milk proteins are proteins separated from milk, such as caseinates and whey protein concentrates, added to adjust texture or raise protein content.
  • 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.
7 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.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 543 pasta dishes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 542nd. 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 0037600349864, last edited 8 April 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.