Short answer: most of it is. If you’re buying Velveeta, Tostitos, or the bright orange jar of queso from the snack aisle, you’re eating an ultra-processed food. But not all queso has to be that way.
Here’s how to tell the difference — and why it matters.
What Makes a Food “Ultra-Processed”?
The NOVA classification system — the one most researchers and policymakers use — puts foods into four groups. Group 4 is ultra-processed: industrially formulated products made mostly from substances extracted from foods, plus additives like emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and colors.
The test isn’t whether something comes in a package. It’s whether the ingredient list reads like a chemistry experiment. If you see modified food starch, sodium phosphate, maltodextrin, artificial colors, or ingredients you wouldn’t find in anyone’s kitchen — that’s ultra-processed.
The Queso You’re Probably Buying Is UPF
Flip over a jar of Tostitos Queso. You’ll find water, modified food starch, canola oil, maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, natural and artificial flavors, and Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. There’s barely any actual food in it.
Velveeta is the same story — it’s classified as a “pasteurized prepared cheese product” because it legally can’t call itself cheese. The ingredient list includes milk protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, sorbic acid, and artificial colors.
These are the textbook definition of ultra-processed.
How to Find Queso That Isn’t Ultra-Processed
Look for queso where the ingredients are actual foods. Cashews. Oat milk. Nutritional yeast. Peppers. Sea salt. Vinegar. Things you’d recognize at a farmers market.
Credo’s Oat Milk Queso is a good example. The ingredient list is short, pronounceable, and made from real food. No seed oils, no artificial colors, no modified starches. It’s still shelf-stable and convenient — you don’t have to sacrifice convenience to eat real food.
The Queso Blanco version is milder if you want less heat, and both work for nachos, vegetables, grain bowls, tacos — anywhere you’d normally use queso.
The Quick Label Test
Next time you’re in the grocery aisle, try this three-second test:
Count the ingredients. If there are more than 10, be suspicious. Look for words ending in “-ose” (maltose, dextrose) — those are hidden sugars. Look for words you can’t pronounce. Check for artificial colors (Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40). Check for seed oils (canola, soybean, sunflower).
If you hit two or more of those, you’re holding an ultra-processed food. Put it back.
FAQ
Is Velveeta ultra-processed?
Yes. Velveeta contains milk protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, sorbic acid, and artificial colors — all markers of ultra-processing under the NOVA classification.
Is Tostitos Queso ultra-processed?
Yes. Tostitos Queso contains modified food starch, canola oil, maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, and artificial colors (Yellow 5 and Yellow 6).
What queso brands are not ultra-processed?
Look for brands that use whole food ingredients like cashews, oat milk, nutritional yeast, and real peppers. Credo Foods makes oat milk-based queso with a short, recognizable ingredient list and no artificial additives.
Does the NOVA classification apply to queso?
Yes. Any queso made with industrial additives, artificial colors, or heavily processed ingredients like modified food starch falls into NOVA Group 4 (ultra-processed). Queso made from whole foods falls into Group 1 or Group 3.
Want queso you can actually feel good about? Check out Credo’s lineup — real food ingredients, no seed oils, no artificial anything.