Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs ultra-processed?

7 oz (198g) Appetizers Sold in the United States and France

Pack of Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs

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:

  • 22 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score D

Less processed appetizers

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

cornmeal, vegetable oil (CONTAINS ONE and MORE OF THE FOLLOWING (sunflower), safflower, and CANOLA OIL), white cheddar seasoning (whey, cheddar salt, enzymes), buttermilk, cheese, cultured milk, maltodextrin, n natural flavors, salt, citric acid, deproteinized food starch, lactic acid, whey, salt, natural spice

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

CORNMEAL, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, OR CANOLA OIL), WHITE CHEDDAR SEASONING (WHEY, CHEDDAR SALT, ENZYMES), BUTTERMILK, CHEESE [CULTURED MILK, MALTODEXTRIN, N NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, MODIFIED CITRIC ACID), DEPROTEINIZED FOOD STARCH, LACTIC ACID, WHEY, SALT, NATURAL SPICE EXTRACTIVES. CONTAINS MILK.

What makes it ultra-processed

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.
  • 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.
  • E330 Citric acid is the acid in citrus fruit.
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.

  • Salty snacks Products in the category "Salty snacks" are at least group 3.
  • 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 2,498 appetizers

From least to most processed, this one ranks 1694th. 64% of the appetizers 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 2,498 appetizers, least processed first

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 00533713, last edited 18 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 D (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.