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Is Mondelez Dairylea Lunchers Ham 'n' Cheese ultra-processed?

65g Cheeses Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Mondelez Dairylea Lunchers Ham 'n' 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:

  • 42 ingredients
  • 11 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed 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

CHEESE food (cheese 75%), skimmed MILK (water, skimmed MILK powder), sodium citrates, potassium citrates, MILK proteins, butter, skimmed MILK powder, whey powder (from MILK), vitamin D, sorbic acid, citric acid, sunflower lecithins, WHEAT crackers (WHEAT flour 71%), sunflower oil 8%, WHEAT bran, sugar, butter, glucose-fructose syrup, ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates, whey powder (from MILK), WHEAT germ, potassium chloride, WHEAT fibre, flavourings, sodium METABISULPHITE, Cooked formed ham (pork 85%), starch, potassium lactate, sodium acetates, salt, potassium chloride, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, YOUNG CHILDREN CHOULD ALWAYS DE CEATED and CUDERVICED Energy Fat of which Sa Carbohydrat of which Sug Fibre Protein Salt Vitamin D

Additives: E200 Sorbic acid , E223 Sodium metabisulphite , E250 Sodium nitrite , E262 Sodium acetates , E301 Sodium ascorbate , E322 Lecithins , E326 Potassium lactate , E330 Citric acid , E331 Sodium citrates , E500 Sodium carbonates , E503 Ammonium carbonates

As written on the pack

CHEESE food: CHEESE (75%), skimmed MILK (water, skimmed MILK powder), emulsifying salts (sodium citrates, potassium citrates), MILK proteins, BUTTER, skimmed MILK powder, whey powder (from MILK), vitamin D, preservative (sorbic acid), acidity regulator (citric acid), anti-caking agent (sunflower lecithins). WHEAT crackers: WHEAT flour (71%), sunflower oil (8%), WHEAT bran, sugar, BUTTER, glucose-fructose syrup, raising agents (ammonium carbonates, sodium carbonates), whey powder (from MILK), WHEAT germ, potassium chloride, WHEAT fibre, flavourings (contains MILK), flour treatment agent (sodium METABISULPHITE). Cooked formed ham: pork (85%), starch, acidity regulators (potassium lactate, sodium acetates), salt, flavour enhancer (potassium chloride), antioxidant (sodium ascorbate), preservative (sodium nitrite). YOUNG CHILDREN CHOULD ALWAYS DE CEATED AND CUDERVICED Energy Fat of which Sa Carbohydrat of which Sug Fibre Protein Salt Vitamin D

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.

  • E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
  • E326 Potassium lactate Antioxidants are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and colour changes.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.

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.

  • Glucose Glucose, usually listed as glucose syrup, is cheap, keeps products moist and stops sugar from crystallising.
  • 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.
  • Fructose Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and honey, but as an ingredient it is refined industrially, mostly from corn starch.
  • Vegetable fiber Isolated plant fibres, such as inulin, oat fibre or bamboo fibre, are extracted industrially and added to change texture or support "source of fibre" claims.
9 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.

  • E250 Sodium nitrite 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.
  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" are at least group 3.
  • Butter Butter, the fat churned from cream.
  • 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.
  • Milk powder Milk powder is milk with the water evaporated off: a preserved form of a whole food rather than an industrial extract.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 1,224 cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1207th. 38% of the 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 1,224 cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7622202261602, last edited 26 September 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.