Is Idahoan Four Cheese Mashed Potatoes ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 61 ingredients
- 11 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
idaho potatoes, four cheese blend (cheddar cheese blend, whey (ultra-processing marker), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), reduced lactose whey, canola oil, cheddar (processing marker), blue cheese (processing marker) (cultured milk, salt (processing marker), enzymes), salt (processing marker), disodium phosphate, whey protein (ultra-processing marker), citric acid, lactic acid, including fd&c yellow #6, #5), romano (processing marker), parmesan cheeses (processing marker) (milk, cheese cultures, salt (processing marker), enzymes, disodium phosphate), vegetable oil (processing marker) (contains one more of the following (coconut), palm, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, canola), salt (processing marker), corn syrup solids (ultra-processing marker), sugar (processing marker), whey powder (ultra-processing marker), nonfat dry milk (processing marker), NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (ultra-processing marker) (milk, SOY), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), mono- and DIGLYCERIDES (ultra-processing marker), calcium stearoyl lactylate, spice, including fd&c yellow #5, #6, sodium acid pyrophosphate (ultra-processing marker) (preserve freshness), sodium bisulfate (preserve freshness), citric acid (preserve freshness), sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), disodium guanylate (ultra-processing marker), mixed tocopherols (preserve freshness), less than 2.0% silicon dioxide added as an anti-caking agent
Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E306 Tocopherol-rich extract , E330 Citric acid , E339ii Disodium phosphate , E340 Potassium phosphates , E340ii Dipotassium phosphate , E450 Diphosphates , E450i Disodium diphosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E627 Disodium guanylate , E631 Disodium inosinate
As written on the pack
IDAHO POTATOES, FOUR CHEESE BLEND [CHEDDAR CHEESE BLEND [WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, REDUCED LACTOSE WHEY, CANOLA OIL, CHEDDAR AND BLUE CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SALT, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (INCLUDING FD&C YELLOW #6 AND #5)], ROMANO AND PARMESAN CHEESES [PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE]), VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: COCONUT, PALM, SOYBEAN, COTTONSEED, SUNFLOWER, CANOLA), SALT, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR, WHEY POWDER, NONFAT DRY MILK, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (MILK, SOY), MALTODEXTRIN, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, SPICE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (INCLUDING FD&C YELLOW #5 AND #6), SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE (PRESERVE FRESHNESS), SODIUM BISULFATE (PRESERVE FRESHNESS), CITRIC ACID (PRESERVE FRESHNESS), SODIUM CASEINATE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS (PRESERVE FRESHNESS) AND LESS THAN 2.0% SILICON DIOXIDE ADDED AS AN ANTI-CAKING AGENT.
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.
- E450 Diphosphates Diphosphates are phosphate salts used as raising agents in baking powder, and to hold water in processed meats and cheese.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- 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.
- Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
- 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.
5 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.
- Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0029700001452, last edited 5 August 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.