Is Trader Joe's Shredded Lite Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese ultra-processed?

12 oz Grated Mozzarella Sold in the United States

Yes, it's ultra-processed

1 Unprocessed
2 Kitchen staple
3 Processed
4 Ultra-processed

Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:

E460 Cellulose

10 ingredients
2 additives
Nutri-Score C

Less processed grated Mozzarella

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

lite low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, salt (processing marker), microbial enzymes, vitamin a palmitate), potato starch (processing marker), cellulose (ultra-processing marker) (to prevent caking (processing marker)), natamycin (mold inhibitor)

Additives: E235 Natamycin , E460 Cellulose

As written on the pack

LITE LOW-MOISTURE PART-SKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE (CULTURED PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, SALT, MICROBIAL ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), POTATO STARCH AND CELLULOSE (TO PREVENT CAKING), NATAMYCIN (MOLD INHIBITOR)

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.

E460 Cellulose A food additive used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or otherwise physically modify a food additive or nutrient without altering its function -and without exerting any technological effect itself- in order to facilitate its handling, application or use of the food additive or nutrient.

4 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.
Anti-caking agent Anti-caking agents are substances which reduce the tendency of individual particles of a foodstuff to adhere to one another.
Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.

How the NOVA groups work

Among 11 grated Mozzarella

From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 18% of the grated Mozzarella 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 11 grated Mozzarella, least processed first

About this information

Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00690409, last edited 15 August 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.