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

5 oz Popcorn Sold in the United States and Spain

Pack of Trader Joe's 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:

  • 18 ingredients
  • 2 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

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 (Sunflower, Canola Oil), White Cheddar Seasoning (Whey Powder, Whey Protein, Buttermilk Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Contains 2% and Less Of Citric Acid (Acidifier), Lactic Acid)

Additives: E270 Lactic acid , E330 Citric acid

As written on the pack

Popcorn, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower and/or Canola Oil), White Cheddar Seasoning (Whey Powder, Whey Protein Concentrate, Buttermilk Powder, Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Contains 2% Or Less Of Citric Acid [Acidifier], Lactic Acid)

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.

  • 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 154th. 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 00059855, last edited 29 April 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 E (from A, best, to E).
  • General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.