Is Velveeta Original Shell Pasta & 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:
- 31 ingredients
- 3 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed cereals and their products
-
Sprouted Rolled Oats
One Degree Organic Foods
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Old Fashioned Oats
Quaker Oats
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Quick 1-Minute Oats
Quaker Oats
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Old Fashioned 100% Whole Grain Rolled Oats
Quaker Oats
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate (iron), thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin, cheese (processing marker) (milk, cheese culture, salt (processing marker), enzymes), whey (ultra-processing marker), canola oil, cheddar cheese culture, salt (processing marker), enzymes, whey protein (ultra-processing marker), milk, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, sodium alginate (ultra-processing marker), sorbic acid as a preservative, oleoresin paprika (ultra-processing marker) (color (ultra-processing marker)), enzymes, cheese culture, annatto (color (ultra-processing marker)), milkfat, natural flavor (ultra-processing marker)
Additives: E160c Paprika extract , E270 Lactic acid , E401 Sodium alginate
As written on the pack
WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE (IRON), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY, CANOLA OIL, CHEDDAR CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MILK, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM ALGINATE, SORBIC ACID AS A PRESERVATIVE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA (COLOR), ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR), MILKFAT, NATURAL FLAVOR.
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.
- E160c Paprika extract Paprika extract is a red-orange colour extracted from paprika peppers.
- E401 Sodium alginate 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.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
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.
Among 5,078 cereals and their products
From least to most processed, this one ranks 4721st. 57% of the cereals and their products here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0021000658930, last edited 21 September 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.