Is Nabisco Premium Original Saltine Crackers ultra-processed?

Biscuits and cakes Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Cottonseed oil

15 ingredients
2 additives

Less processed biscuits and cakes

Fruit & Seed Oatcakes Nairn's 9 ingredients · 2 additives NOVA group 3
original made with sea salt Triscuit 3 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
Peter's Yard Original Sourdough Crackers Peter's Yard 10 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3
All-Butter Shortbread Fingers Walker's 4 ingredients · no additives NOVA group 3

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

flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil (processing marker), cottonseed oil (ultra-processing marker), sea salt (processing marker), salt (processing marker), malted barley flour, baking soda, yeast

Additives: E500 Sodium carbonates , E500ii Sodium hydrogen carbonate

As written on the pack

Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin b1}, riboflavin {vitamin b2}, folic acid), soybean oil, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, sea salt, salt, malted barley flour, baking soda, yeast.

What makes it ultra-processed

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.

Cottonseed oil An ingredient mostly produced industrially and rarely used in home kitchens.

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.

Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 2,122 biscuits and cakes

From least to most processed, this one ranks 447th. 84% of the biscuits and cakes 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 2,122 biscuits and cakes, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0044000004644, last edited 14 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.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.