Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product ultra-processed?

12 oz Processed cheese in slices Sold in the United States

Pack of Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Less processed processed cheese in slices

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

cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), skim milk, whey, milkfat, milk protein concentrate, calcium phosphate, sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of modified food starch, salt, milk, lactic acid, sorbic acid as a preservative, oleoresin paprika (color), enzymes, cheese culture, vitamin a palmitate, annatto (color)

Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E270 Lactic acid

As written on the pack

CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SKIM MILK, WHEY, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, MILK, LACTIC ACID, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA (COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR).

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.

  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • 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.
3 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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 9 processed cheese in slices

From least to most processed, this one ranks 5th. 67% of the processed cheese in slices 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 9 processed cheese in slices, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000604647, last edited 22 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.