Is it ultra-processed?
Menu

Is The Laughing Cow Pepper Jack Cheese ultra-processed?

Cheeses Sold in the United States

Pack of The Laughing Cow Pepper Jack 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:

  • 19 ingredients
  • 3 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed 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

cheddar, semisoft, and MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (cultured milk, part-skim milk, salt, enzymes), whey, milk protein concentrate, water, skim milk, sodium polyphosphate, tricalcium phosphate, DRIED GREEN and RED JALAPENO PEPPERS, citric acid, vitamins (cholecalciferol (vitamin d), vitamin a acetate)

Additives: E330 Citric acid , E452 Polyphosphates , E452i Sodium polyphosphate

As written on the pack

CHEDDAR, SEMISOFT, AND MONTEREY JACK CHEESE (PASTEURIZED CULTURED MILK AND PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WATER, SKIM MILK, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATE, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, DRIED GREEN AND RED JALAPENO PEPPERS, CITRIC ACID, VITAMINS (CHOLECALCIFEROL [VITAMIN D] AND VITAMIN A ACETATE)

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.

  • E452 Polyphosphates 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.

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.

  • 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.

  • Cheeses Products in the category "Cheeses" 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 1,224 cheeses

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1048th. 38% of the 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 1,224 cheeses, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0041757025335, last edited 5 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.