Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is Philadelphia Soft Cheese Dip & Breadsticks ultra-processed?

3 x 42 g Cream cheeses Sold in the United Kingdom

Pack of Philadelphia Soft Cheese Dip & Breadsticks

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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 5 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed cream 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

Soft CHEESE dip (Medium fat soft CHEESE), water, modified starch, salt, stabilisers (locust bean gum, carrageenan), acid (citric acid), Breadsticks (WHEAT flour), coconut oil, WHEAT dextrin 2.9%, BARLEY malt extract, yeast, WHEAT germ 1%, salt

Additives: E1400 Dextrin , E14XX Modified Starch , E330 Citric acid , E407 Carrageenan , E410 Locust bean gum

Also detected, but not matched to one ingredient: E1400 Dextrin.

As written on the pack

Soft CHEESE dip: Medium fat soft CHEESE (87%), water, modified starch, salt, stabilisers (locust bean gum, carrageenan), acid (citric acid). Breadsticks: WHEAT flour, coconut oil, WHEAT dextrin (2.9%), BARLEY malt extract, yeast, WHEAT germ (1%), salt.

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.

  • E1400 Dextrin Dextrin is starch partly broken down by heat or acid, used as a thickener, binder and coating.
  • E14xx Modified Starch Modified starches (E1400 to E1452) are starches treated physically, with enzymes or chemically so that they thicken and hold up to heating, freezing or acidity better than ordinary starch.
  • E407 Carrageenan Carrageenan is a thickener and gelling agent extracted from red seaweed, used widely in dairy desserts, plant-based drinks and processed meats.
  • E410 Locust bean gum Locust bean gum (carob gum) is a thickener and stabiliser from the seeds of the carob tree.
  • 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.
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.

  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
  • 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

Among 122 cream cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 111th. 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.

All 122 cream cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 7622201443009, last edited 18 April 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 C (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.