Is White cheddar popcorn ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 19 ingredients
- 1 additive
- Nutri-Score E
Less processed popcorn
-
100% Whole Grain Popping Corn Classic Yellow
Great Value
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Organic Microwave Popcorn, 3 Bag, 9 oz
365
1 ingredient · no additives
NOVA group
1
-
Original Popcorn
Skinny Pop
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
-
Original Popcorn
Skinny Pop Organic
3 ingredients · no additives
NOVA group
3
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Soybean oil (processing marker), cheese (processing marker) (milk, salt (processing marker), annatto, culture, enzymes), whey (ultra-processing marker), buttermilk, salt (processing marker), popcorn, cheese refined seasoning acid, maltodextrin (ultra-processing marker), lactic artificial flavor, disodium inosinate (ultra-processing marker), guanylate (flavor enhancers (ultra-processing marker), silicon dioxide 2% (anticaking))
Additives: E631 Disodium inosinate
As written on the pack
Soybean oil, (cheese [milk, salt, annatto extract, culture, enzymes], whey, buttermilk, salt, popcorn, cheese refined seasoning acid, maltodextrin, lactic artificial flavor, disodium inosinate ,guanylate (flavor enhancers], <2% silicon dioxide [anticaking]) contains: milk
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.
- E631 Disodium inosinate Disodium inosinate is a flavour enhancer usually used together with MSG.
- Flavour enhancer Flavour enhancers such as monosodium glutamate (E621) strengthen savoury taste without adding a flavour of their own.
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.
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.
Among 188 popcorn
From least to most processed, this one ranks 172nd. 57% of the popcorn here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 0028293185600, last edited 12 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 E (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.