Is Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese ultra-processed?

48 oz Cream cheeses Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

Less processed isn't automatically healthier, so compare the labels for what matters to you, such as sugar or salt.

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

PASTEURIZED MILK and CREAM, salt (processing marker), carob bean gum (ultra-processing marker), cheese culture (processing marker)

Additives: E410 Locust bean gum

As written on the pack

PASTEURIZED MILK AND CREAM, SALT, CAROB BEAN GUM, CHEESE CULTURE.

Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.

E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.

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.
Microbial culture Microbial cultures ferment foods such as yoghurt, cheese and sourdough.

From least to most processed, this one ranks 57th. 64% of the cream 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.

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000612451, last edited 15 September 2025), 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.