Complete Cheese Guide
Comprehensive analysis of 80706 cheese products from 218 brands. Compare processing levels from artisan to processed cheese products, and find the healthiest options.
80706
Products Analyzed
218
Brands
4.4
Avg Processing Score
3.8/10
Avg Nutrition Score
Cheese by Processing Level
Processing Level: 1 out of 4 - Minimally Processed
Level 1
Minimally Processed6921
Natural cheese with minimal ingredients. Just milk, cultures, salt, enzymes.
Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed
Level 2
Processed54374
Slightly processed with added flavors, colors, or preservatives.
Processing Level: 3 out of 4 - Highly Processed
Level 3
Highly Processed14255
Processed cheese with emulsifiers, stabilizers, or multiple additives.
Processing Level: 4 out of 4 - Ultra-Processed
Level 4
Ultra-Processed5156
Highly processed cheese products with many additives and artificial ingredients.
Healthiest Cheese Options
Top-rated cheese products with minimal processing and high nutrition scores
How to Choose Healthy Cheese
✓What to Look For
- •Simple ingredients: Best cheese has just 4 ingredients - milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes
- •Natural cheese: Made from milk and aged, not processed cheese products with emulsifiers and preservatives
- •Low processing score: Look for cheese with processing scores under 3.0 (natural cheese typically scores 1.0-2.0)
- •Aged varieties: Aged cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and swiss are lower in lactose and richer in flavor
- •Lower sodium: Compare brands and choose options with lower sodium content when possible
✗Red Flags to Avoid
- •Emulsifiers: Sodium phosphate and other emulsifiers indicate processed cheese products
- •Artificial colors: Added colors indicate higher processing levels
- •Preservatives: Natural cheese doesn't need added preservatives
- •Modified food starch: Used as filler in processed cheese products
- •"Pasteurized process cheese": Labels indicating heavily processed cheese products, not natural cheese