Gourmet Penne Pasta & Five Cheese

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, Gourmet Penne Pasta & Five Cheese scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Modified Starches (Modified Food Starch): Chemical modification is a hallmark of UPF.
• Modified Fats (Fully Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil): Hydrogenation and modification are UPF markers.
• Chemical Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate): Synthetic preservatives are UPF indicators.
• Emulsifiers (Mono & Diglycerides, Lecithin): Industrial emulsifiers indicate UPF.

Within Prepared Entrees, this product is more processed than about 53% of the 6,999 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 Gourmet Penne Pasta & Five 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.

Natural PreservativesProcessing indicator

In this product: Enriched Pasta (Water, Durum Wheat Semolina, Egg White, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid).

Natural sources but industrial application.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Soybean Oil.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Citric Acid.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

Synthetic VitaminsProcessing indicator

In this product: Vitamin A Palmitate.

Fortification often compensates for processing losses.