The Original Cheese Danish

Why Does This Score Ultra-Processed?

In our analysis, The Original Cheese Danish scores Ultra-Processed. That classification is shaped by ingredients commonly associated with ultra-processed foods:

• Corn-Based Sweeteners (High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup): HFCS is a hallmark of ultra-processed foods.
• Chemical Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate Preservative, Sodium Benzoate Preservative): Synthetic preservatives are UPF indicators.
• Stabilizers & Gums (Neufchatel Cheese Blend (Milk, Neufchatel Cheese (Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Cheese Culture), Skim Milk, Palm Oil, Milk Protein Concentrate, Cheese Culture, Salt, Carob Bean Gum, Lactic Acid, Mono And Diglycerides, Citric Acid Preservative, Apocarotenal Color), Microcrystalline Cellulose, Agar Agar): Industrial stabilizers common in UPF.
• Emulsifiers (Glycerine, Mono And Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin): Industrial emulsifiers indicate UPF.
• Other Additives (Monoglyceride, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate): Miscellaneous additives generally indicate processing.

Within Cakes & Pastries, this product is more processed than about 16% of the 11,919 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 The Original Cheese Danish'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.

Industrial EnzymesUPF marker

In this product: Enzyme.

Industrial enzyme use indicates significant processing.

Vegetable OilsProcessing indicator

In this product: Palm Oil, Soybean Oil, Palm Oil With Soy Lecithin.

Natural oils are minimally processed, hydrogenated oils indicate UPF.

Sugars & Natural SweetenersProcessing indicator

In this product: Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Cornstarch), Sugar.

Natural sugars acceptable in moderation, excessive amounts indicate UPF.

Salt & SodiumProcessing indicator

In this product: Salt.

Basic preservative, but high amounts indicate processing.

Industrial FermentationProcessing indicator

In this product: Bakers Yeast.

Industrial fermentation for additive production.

Natural PreservativesProcessing indicator

In this product: Calcium Propionate Preservative.

Natural sources but industrial application.

Food AcidsProcessing indicator

In this product: Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Phosphoric Acid Preservative.

Common in both traditional and industrial foods.

MineralsProcessing indicator

In this product: Calcium Lactate.

Added minerals often compensate for processing.