Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Kirkland Signature Cottage Cheese ultra-processed?

Fresh cheeses Sold in Canada

Pack of Kirkland Signature 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:

  • 17 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score B

Less processed fresh 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, Cream, Ultrafiltered skim milk, Sugars, Skim milk powder, Salt, skim milk, Bacterial culture, Calcium chloride, Microbial enzyme, Carrageenan, Guar gum, mono- and diglycerides, Xanthan gum, Citric acid, Lactic acid, Carbon dioxide

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E290 Carbon dioxide , E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

Skim milk, Cream, Ultrafiltered skim milk, Sugars (lactose), Skim milk powder, Salt, Cultured skim milk, Bacterial culture, Calcium chloride, Microbial enzyme, Carrageenan, Guar gum, Mono and diglycerides, Xanthan gum, Citric acid, Lactic acid, Carbon dioxide

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.
  • 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.
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.

  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 91 fresh cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 87th. 37% of the fresh 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 91 fresh cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0096619177646, last edited 6 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 B (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.