Is Trenton Farms Nacho Cheese Sauce ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Flavouring
- Maltodextrin
- Modified starch
- E102 Tartrazine
- E110 Sunset yellow FCF
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 28 ingredients
- 5 additives
- Nutri-Score C
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
water, soybean oil (processing marker), modified cornstarch (ultra-processing marker), aged cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture (processing marker), salt (processing marker), enzymes (processing marker)), tomato puree (water, tomato paste), jalapeno peppers (jalapeno peppers, salt (processing marker), acetic acid), less than 2% of cornstarch, salt (processing marker), green chiles (green chiles, citric acid), maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), vinegar, sodium phosphate, natural flavoring (ultra-processing marker), datem (ultra-processing marker), autolyzed yeast extract, yellow 6 (ultra-processing marker), yellow 5 (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E102 Tartrazine , E110 Sunset yellow FCF , E260 Acetic acid , E330 Citric acid , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, AGED CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), JALAPENO PEPPERS (JALAPENO PEPPERS, SALT, ACETIC ACID), LESS THAN 2% OF CORNSTARCH, SALT, GREEN CHILES (GREEN CHILES, CITRIC ACID), MALTODEXTRIN, VINEGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, NATURAL FLAVORING (CONTAINS MILK), DATEM, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5.
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).
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids 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.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
- Modified starch Modified starch is starch altered physically, with enzymes or chemically, so that it thickens, gels or survives freezing and heating better than ordinary starch.
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.
5 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.
- Starch Starch extracted from cereals or potatoes, used to thicken.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Microbial culture Microbial cultures ferment foods such as yoghurt, cheese and sourdough.
- Enzyme Enzymes carry out traditional processes such as cheese making and baking.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0039000060226, last edited 23 February 2025), 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.