Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Kraft mac & cheese original flavor ultra-processed?

7.25 oz (206 g) Durum wheat macaroni Sold in the United Kingdom, Bolivia and 2 more countries

Pack of Kraft mac & cheese original flavor

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:

  • 29 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed durum wheat macaroni

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

macaroni (wheat flour, durum flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin, folic acid), cheese sauce mix (whey, milkfat, salt, milk protein concentrate, sodium triphosphate, tapioca flour 2%, citric acid, lactic acid, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, paprika (added for color), turmeric (added for color), annatto (added for color), enzymes, cheese culture)

Additives: E160b Annatto , E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E451 Triphosphates , E451i Pentasodium triphosphate

As written on the pack

ENRICHED MACARONI (WHEAT FLOUR, DURUM FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, MILKFAT, SALT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SODIUM TRIPHOSPHATE, TAPIOCA FLOUR 2%, CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, PAPRIKA (ADDED FOR COLOR), TURMERIC (ADDED FOR COLOR), ANNATTO (ADDED FOR COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE).

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.

  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E451 Triphosphates 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.
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

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.

  • 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.
2 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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 12 durum wheat macaroni

From least to most processed, this one ranks 12th. 8% of the durum wheat macaroni 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 12 durum wheat macaroni, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000067060, last edited 9 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.