Is OLW Cheez Ballz Cheezy Nacho Minibag ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 28 ingredients
- 4 additives
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed crackers (Appetizers)
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Corn flour, sunflower oil (processing marker), cheese powder (processing marker) 12% (cheese 85%, whey powder (ultra-processing marker) (from milk), salt (processing marker), colouring (ultra-processing marker) (beta-carotene (ultra-processing marker), paprika extract (ultra-processing marker))), salt (processing marker), sugar (processing marker), milk protein (ultra-processing marker), tomato, dextrose (ultra-processing marker), buttermilk powder, whey powder (ultra-processing marker) (from milk), garlic, potato starch (processing marker), onion, yeast extract, spice extract (paprika, cayenne pepper), acidity regulator (citric acid), flavouring (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E160a Carotene , E160ai Beta-carotene , E160c Paprika extract , E330 Citric acid
As written on the pack
Corn flour, sunflower oil, 12% cheese powder (85% cheese, whey powder (from milk), salt, colouring (beta-carotene, paprika extract)), salt, sugar, milk protein, tomato, dextrose, buttermilk powder, whey powder (from milk), garlic, potato starch, onion, yeast extract, spice extract (paprika, cayenne pepper), acidity regulator (citric acid), flavouring.
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.
- E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dextrose Dextrose is pure glucose crystallised from starch-derived syrup.
- 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.
6 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.
- 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.
Among 10 cheese doodles
From least to most processed, this one ranks 9th. 100% of the cheese doodles here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7340005407156, last edited 5 July 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.