Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Smartfood Flamin Hot White Cheddar Popcorn ultra-processed?

Popcorn Sold in the United States

Pack of Smartfood Flamin Hot White Cheddar Popcorn

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:

  • 35 ingredients
  • 4 additives

Less processed popcorn

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

Popcorn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and, or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Buttermilk, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Natural Flavors, Salt, Romano Cheese (Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Potassium Chloride, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Lactose, Whey Protein, and Sodium Caseinate, ingredients, manufactuired fod

Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E129 Allura red , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Popcorn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola. and/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Buttermilk, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Natural Flavors, Salt, Romano Cheese (Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Potassium Chloride, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Lactose, Whey Protein Concentrate, and Sodium Caseinate. CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS. MANUFACTUIRED FOD

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).
  • E129 Allura red Allura red AC is a synthetic red azo dye (FD&C Red No. 40 in the US).
  • 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.

  • Lactose Lactose is milk sugar, crystallised industrially from whey, a by-product of cheese making.
  • Maltodextrin Maltodextrin is a white powder made by partly breaking down starch.
  • 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.
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.

  • Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
  • 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 188 popcorn

From least to most processed, this one ranks 187th. 57% of the popcorn 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 188 popcorn, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028400313995, last edited 20 January 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.
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.