Great Value, Light Cream Cheese, Plain

Why Does This Score Highly Processed?

In our analysis, Great Value, Light Cream Cheese, Plain scores Highly 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.
• Chemical Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate (Preservative)*): Synthetic preservatives are UPF indicators.
• Processed Dairy Ingredients (Whey Protein Concentrate): Isolated proteins and modified ingredients indicate UPF.
• Natural Flavors (Natural Flavor*): Despite being natural, these are highly processed extracts.
• Other Additives (Stabilizers (Carob Bean And/Or Xanthan And/Or Guar Gums)): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.

Within Cheese, this product is more processed than about 78% of the 19,171 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 Great Value, Light Cream Cheese, Plain'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: Sodium Citrate*, Sodium Phosphate*.

Added minerals often compensate for processing.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Lactic Acid*, Citric Acid*.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Synthetic VitaminsProcessing indicator

In this product: Vitamin A Palmitate.

Fortification often compensates for processing losses.