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Hamburger Helper Cheddar Cheese Melt Hamburger Helper
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Meals

Hamburger Helper Cheddar Cheese Melt Hamburger Helper

4.7 oz

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • High in salt
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 15

Hamburger Helper Cheddar Cheese Melt Hamburger Helper scores 15 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Caramel color: The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. Regulatory
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

The Receipt

Cheddar Cheese Melt Hamburger Helper

START100

Ingredients

  • Sugar
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Caramel color
    Regulatory The FDA says classes III and IV, which can contain 4-MEI, are the most commonly used food color additives by volume. [4][5][6][7]
  • Vegetable oil (unspecified)
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [8][9][10][11]
  • Canola oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [8][9][10][11]
  • Soybean oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [8][9][10][11]
  • Sunflower oil
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [8][9][10][11]
  • Calcium lactate
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [12]
  • Mono- and diglycerides
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher intakes of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471 and E472) were associated with higher cardiovascular risk; cause and effect is not established. [13][14][12]
  • Yeast extract
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [12]
  • Sodium phosphate
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI for phosphates of 40 mg/kg body weight (as phosphorus) and noted that infants, toddlers and children may exceed it. [15]
  • Silicon dioxide
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [12]
subtotal−49.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [12]
  • 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: anti-caking agent, color (added), emulsifier, firming agent and flavor enhancer. [12]
subtotal−24

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Sugars 11.1 g / 100 g
    Strong High in sugar. [1]
  • Salt 5.2 g / 100 g
    Strong Very high in salt. [16]
  • Energy 370 kcal / 100 g
    Info Energy-dense for its weight. [2]
  • Fiber 3.7 g / 100 g
    Strong A good source of fiber. [2]
  • Protein 11.1 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−12
TOTAL 15Bad

100 − 85.5 = 14.5 → 15

Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]

GTIN 00016000283411 · 2025-04-08

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy370 kcal
Fat1.9 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates74.1 g
Sugars11.1 g
Added sugars1.7 g
Fiber3.7 g
Protein11.1 g
Salt5.2 g

Serving: 1/3 cup as pkgd (27 g) (27 g)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

enriched pasta (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), corn starch, modified whey, salt. contains 2% or less of: sugar, onion*, cheddar cheese* (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), vegetable oil (canola, soybean and/or sunflower oil), color (annatto extract, caramel color), garlic*, lactic acid, buttermilk*, whey*, calcium lactate, monoglycerides, spice, yeast extract, sodium phosphate, silicon dioxide (anticaking agent). *dried contains milk, wheat.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat, Gluten

  • Not vegan
  • Not gluten-free
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

More from Hamburger Helper

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. Questions & Answers About 4-MEI

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Mar 27, 2020 · Regulator

    “Based on current science, the FDA has no reason to believe that there are any immediate or short-term health risks presented by 4-MEI at the levels expected in food.”

    fda.gov

  5. Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–142 (List of Classifications)

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  6. Caramel Color in Soft Drinks and Exposure to 4-Methylimidazole: A Quantitative Risk Assessment

    PLOS ONE · Feb 18, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  7. Proposition 65 List of Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity

    California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) · Jul 31, 2026 · Law

    “The date refers to the initial appearance of the chemical on the list.”

    oehha.ca.gov

  8. Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73)

    BMJ · Apr 12, 2016 · Peer-reviewed

    “replacement of saturated fat in the diet with linoleic acid effectively lowers serum cholesterol but does not support the hypothesis that this translates to a lower risk of death from coronary heart disease or all causes.”

    doi.org

  9. Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis

    BMJ · Feb 4, 2013 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  10. Dietary Linoleic Acid and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

    Circulation · Oct 28, 2014 · Peer-reviewed

    “These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”

    doi.org

  11. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

    Circulation · Jul 18, 2017 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  12. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  13. Food additive emulsifiers and risk of cardiovascular disease in the NutriNet-Santé cohort: prospective cohort study

    BMJ · Sep 6, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “This study found positive associations between risk of CVD and intake of five individual and two groups of food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods.”

    doi.org

  14. Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Nov 10, 2017 · Agency assessment

    “The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”

    doi.org

  15. EFSA issues new advice on phosphates

    European Food Safety Authority · Jun 12, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  16. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)

    World Health Organization · May 11, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt), or just under a teaspoon.”

    who.int

  17. Guide to creating a front of pack (FoP) nutrition label for pre-packed products sold through retail outlets

    Department of Health and Social Care / Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK) · Nov 8, 2016 · Regulator

    “Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

  18. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  19. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  20. Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome

    Nature · Mar 5, 2015 · Peer-reviewed

    “carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate-80, induced low-grade inflammation and obesity/metabolic syndrome in wild-type hosts and promoted robust colitis in mice predisposed to this disorder.”

    doi.org

  21. Randomized Controlled-Feeding Study of Dietary Emulsifier Carboxymethylcellulose Reveals Detrimental Impacts on the Gut Microbiota and Metabolome

    Gastroenterology · March 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “Relative to control subjects, CMC consumption modestly increased postprandial abdominal discomfort and perturbed gut microbiota composition in a way that reduced its diversity.”

    doi.org