Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Ricos Products Co. Inc. Premium aged cheddar cheese sauce ultra-processed?

15 oz Cheddar cheese Sold in the United States

Pack of Ricos Products Co. Inc. Premium aged cheddar cheese sauce

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:

  • 26 ingredients
  • 7 additives
  • Nutri-Score C

Less processed cheddar 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

water, modified corn starch, canola oil, contains less than 2% of maltodextrin, whey, salt, cheddar cheese (pasturized milk cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto), distilled vinegar, cornstarch, natural cheddar cheese flavor, enzyme modified cheddar cheese, disodium phosphate, monosodium glutamate, natural cream flavor, sodium hydroxide, yeast extract flavor, sodium stearoyl lactylate, mono- and DIGLYCERIDES, yeast extract, citric acid, siloxane (anti foam)

Additives: E160b Annatto , E330 Citric acid , E339ii Disodium phosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate , E524 Sodium hydroxide , E621 Monosodium glutamate

As written on the pack

WATER, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, CANOLA OIL, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY (CONTAINS MILK), SALT, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTURIZED MILK CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO), DISTILLED VINEGAR, CORNSTARCH, NATURAL CHEDDAR CHEESE FLAVOR, ENZYME MODIFIED CHEDDAR CHEESE, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, NATURAL CREAM FLAVOR, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, YEAST EXTRACT FLAVOR, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, YEAST EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, SILOXANE (ANTI FOAM). CONTAINS: MILK.

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.

  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
  • E481 Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
  • E621 Monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, made by fermentation and used to strengthen savoury taste.
  • Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
  • 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.

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.

  • 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.
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.
  • Cheese Cheese is milk preserved with salt, cultures and rennet.
  • Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 155 cheddar cheese

From least to most processed, this one ranks 154th. 28% of the cheddar 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 155 cheddar cheese, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0079426231008, last edited 29 April 2023), 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.