Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Kraft macaroni & cheese sauce mix ultra-processed?

Macaroni and cheese Sold in the United States and Mexico

Pack of Kraft macaroni & cheese sauce mix

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:

  • 41 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed macaroni and cheese

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 flour, glyceryl monostearate, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate vitamin b1, riboflavin miamin b2, folic acid, cheese sauce mix (whey, corn syrup solids, milk, milkfai, palm oil, modified food starch, salt, milk protein concentraie, odextrin, contains less than 2% of calcium carbonate, sodium triphosphate, medium chain triglycerides, buttermilk, citric acid, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, calcium phosphate, nonfat dry milk, guar gum, cheese culture, with paprika, turmeric, and ANNATTO ADDED FOR COLOR, silicon dioxide, enzymes, natural flavor, xanthan gum), modified food starch, maltodextrin, acetylated monoglycerides, salt, medium chain triglycerides

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E412 Guar gum , E415 Xanthan gum , E451 Triphosphates , E451i Pentasodium triphosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids

As written on the pack

ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT WHEAT FLOUR, GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE (IRON), THIAMIN MONONITRATE VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN MIAMIN B2), FOLIC ACID), CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, MILK, MILKFAI, PALM OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRAIE, MALI ODEXTRIN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CALCIUM CARBONATE, SODIUM TRIPHOSPHATE, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES, DRIED BUTTERMILK, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, NONFAT DRY MILK, GUAR GUM, CHEESE CULTURE, WITH PAPRIKA, TURMERIC, AND ANNATTO ADDED FOR COLOR, SILICON DIOXIDE, ENZYMES, NATURAL FLAVOR, XANTHAN GUM), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, ACETYLATED MONOGLYCERIDES, SALT, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES

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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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 48 macaroni and cheese

From least to most processed, this one ranks 45th. 94% of the macaroni and cheese 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 48 macaroni and cheese, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000026272, last edited 2 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.