Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Premier Pantry Macaroni & Cheese ultra-processed?

7.25 oz (206 g) Macaroni and cheese Sold in the United States

Pack of Premier Pantry Macaroni & 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:

  • 29 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed macaroni and cheese

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

enriched elbow macaroni wheat flour nacin ferrous sulfate (ron thiamine mononitrate, rboflavn folic acid (cheddar cheese seasoning enriched wheat flour, wheat flour), nacin reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, maltodextrin, dairy product, salt contains 2%, less of 2% (soybean oil to reduce dusting), sodium phosphate natural flavors, citric acid, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt enzymes), colors added (yellow 5, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake), sodium caseinate, butter oil), may contain silicon dioxide to reduce caking "dehydrated, on shared equipment that also processes egg

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

ENRICHED ELBOW MACARONI WHEAT FLOUR NACIN FERROUS SULFATE (RON THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RBOFLAVN FOLIC ACID: CHEDDAR CHEESE SEASONING ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NACIN REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), MALTODEXTRIN, DAIRY PRODUCT SOLIDS, SALT CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SOYBEAN OIL TO REDUCE DUSTING, SODIUM PHOSPHATE NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT ENZYMES) COLORS ADDED (YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE), SODIUM CASEINATE, BUTTER OIL) MAY CONTAIN SILICON DIOXIDE TO REDUCE CAKING "DEHYDRATED. CONTAINS: MILK, WHEAT Made on shared equipment that also processes egg.

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.

  • E102 Tartrazine Tartrazine is a synthetic yellow azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 5 in the US).
  • E110 Sunset yellow FCF Sunset yellow FCF is a synthetic orange azo dye (FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the US).
  • Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.

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.

  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
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.

  • Meals Products in the category "Meals" are at least group 3.
  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 48 macaroni and cheese

From least to most processed, this one ranks 30th. 94% of the macaroni and cheese 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 48 macaroni and cheese, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0854702007108, last edited 29 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.
  • 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.