Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Lean Cuisine Five Cheese Rigatoni ultra-processed?

10 oz Sold in the United States

Pack of Lean Cuisine Five Cheese Rigatoni

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:

  • 72 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

Blanched rigatoni (water, semolina, wheat gluten), water, tomatoes, tomato paste, part-skim mozzarella cheese, modified cornstarch (part-skim mozzarella cheese (milk, salt, cultures, enzymes), modified cornstarch, nonfat milk, flavors), onions, and less of monterey jack cheese 2% (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), parmesan, asiago cheese blend with flavor (parmesan, asiago cheeses (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), enzyme modified parmesan cheese (cultured milk, water, salt, enzymes), whey, salt), soybean oil, spices, parmesan cheese paste (granular, parmesan cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), water, salt, lactic acid, citric acid), sugar, modified food starch, romano cheese with flavor (romano cheese (cow's milk, salt, enzymes), enzyme modified romano cheese (romano cheese (cow's milk, water, salt, enzymes), salt)), garlic puree, whey (whey, maltodextrin), salt, molasses, extra virgin olive oil, xanthan gum, citric acid

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid , E415 Xanthan gum

As written on the pack

Blanched rigatoni (water, semolina, wheat gluten), water, tomatoes, tomato paste, part-skim mozzarella cheese and modified cornstarch (part-skim mozzarella cheese [pasteurized milk, salt, cultures, enzymes], modified cornstarch, nonfat milk, flavors), onions, 2% or less of monterey jack cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), parmesan and asiago cheese blend with flavor (parmesan & asiago cheeses [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], enzyme modified parmesan cheese [cultured milk, water, salt, enzymes], whey, salt), soybean oil, spices, parmesan cheese paste (granular and parmesan cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], water, salt, lactic acid, citric acid), sugar, modified food starch, romano cheese with flavor (romano cheese [cultured cow's milk, salt, enzymes], enzyme modified romano cheese [romano cheese {cultured cow's milk, water, salt, enzymes}, salt]), garlic puree, cultured whey (cultured whey, maltodextrin), salt, molasses, extra virgin olive oil, xanthan gum, citric acid.

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.

  • E415 Xanthan gum Xanthan gum is a thickener made by fermenting sugar with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris.
  • 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.

  • Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
  • 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.
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.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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.

How the NOVA groups work

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0013800174208, last edited 5 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.