Is it ultra-processed?
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Is Velveeta Original Cheese Slices ultra-processed?

21 g Sold in the United States

Pack of Velveeta Original Cheese Slices

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
  • 4 additives
  • Nutri-Score E

Ingredients

Ultra-processing Processing signs are highlighted

whey, milk, protein, modified food starch, sodium citrate, maltodextrin, gelatin, salt, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, milkfat, whey protein, sorbic acid sa a preservative, canola oil, enzymes, paprika extract, annatto, CO

Additives: E160b Annatto , E160c Paprika extract , E331 Sodium citrates , E428 Gelatine

As written on the pack

WHEY, MILK, PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SODIUM CITRATE, MALTODEXTRIN, GELATIN, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MILKFAT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SORBIC ACID SA A PRESERVATIVE, CANOLA OIL, ENZYMES, PAPRIKA EXTRACT AND ANNATTO (CO

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.

  • E160b Annatto Colours are substances which add or restore colour in a food, and include natural constituents of foods and natural sources which are normally not consumed as foods as such and not normally used as characteristic ingredients of food.
  • E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
  • E428 Gelatine Gelatine is a gelling agent made from collagen in animal skin and bones.
  • 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.
  • 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.
2 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.

How the NOVA groups work

About this information

  • Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000611447, last edited 5 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.