Mexican Style Melting Cheese

Why Does This Score Highly Processed?

In our analysis, Mexican Style Melting Cheese scores Highly Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Modified Fats (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil): Hydrogenation and modification are UPF markers.
• Corn-Based Sweeteners (Glucose Oxidase (Prevents Caking And Maintains Freshness)): HFCS is a hallmark of ultra-processed foods.
• Processed Dairy Ingredients (Casein And/Or Caseinate): Isolated proteins and modified ingredients indicate UPF.
• Other Additives (Sodium Phosphates): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.
• Industrial Enzymes (Mozzarella Cheese (Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, And Enzymes). Food Starch): Industrial enzyme use indicates significant 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 Mexican Style Melting 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.

Stabilizers & GumsUPF marker

In this product: Powdered Cellulose.

Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

MineralsProcessing indicator

In this product: Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Sodium Citrate.

Added minerals often compensate for processing.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

Synthetic VitaminsProcessing indicator

In this product: Vitamin Supplement (Magnesium Oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, Zinc Oxide, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Electrolytic Iron, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Niacinamide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin A Palmitate)}.

Fortification often compensates for processing losses.

Sugars & Natural SweetenersProcessing indicator

In this product: Dextrose.

Natural sugars acceptable in moderation, excessive amounts indicate UPF.