Buffalo Chicken Mac N' Cheese

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, Buffalo Chicken Mac N' Cheese scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Stabilizers & Gums (Buffalo Sauce (Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Natural Butter Type Flavor And Garlic Powder), Ranch Dressing (Sour Dressing (Water, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Whey Powder, Sodium Caseinate, Nonfat Dry Milk, Food Starch Modified (Corn), Lactic And Citric Acids, Mono And Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Soy Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Sodium Citrate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Locust Bean Gum, Sodium Carbonate, Carrageenan, Natural And Artificial Flavors), Cultured Buttermilk, Mayonnaise (Soybean Oil, Egg Yolk, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Spice And Calcium Disodium Edta To Protect Flavor)), Xanthan Gum): Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.
• Other Additives (Cultured Pasteurized Skim Milk, Cream, Modified Food Starch, Sodium Phosphate, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.

Within Frozen Dinners, this product is more processed than about 37% of the 5,358 products we've analyzed.

Processing classification reflects ingredient and additive analysis, not a judgment of any product's safety, quality, or healthfulness.

What These Ingredients Tell Us

We group Buffalo Chicken Mac N' Cheese's ingredients into ingredient categories and note how each relates to food processing. The notes below describe the category, not this specific product's formulation.

MineralsProcessing indicator

In this product: Pasteurized Cheddar Cheese [ (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Sodium Phosphate, Milkfat, Salt, Apocarotenal (Color), American Cheese (Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Skim Milk, Buttermilk, Milk Fat, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Acetic Acid, Lactic Acid, Enymes), Light Cream, Cream Cheese (Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Carob Bean Gum), Modified Corn Starch, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Butter (Cream, Salt), Salt, Natural Cheddar Cheese Flavor (Maltodextrin, Whey Solids, Natural Cheese Flavor, Salt, Yeast Extract), Onion Powder, Spices, Yeast Extract, Nisin Preparation And Annatto].

Added minerals often compensate for processing.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Soybean Oil.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Sugars & Natural SweetenersProcessing indicator

In this product: Sugar.

Natural sugars acceptable in moderation, excessive amounts indicate UPF.