Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheese Parmesan Style
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Cheeses

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheese Parmesan Style

Score

Okay 52 out of 100 High confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • Contains seed oils
  • Contains palm oil
  • No synthetic dyes

Why it scores 52

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cheese Parmesan Style scores 52 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  2. minus 7.5 points Carrageenan: In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. Strong
  3. minus 7.5 points 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers: Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, humectant, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. Emerging

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

The Receipt

Dairy-Free Cheese Parmesan Style

START100

Ingredients

  • Carrageenan minus 7.5 points
    Strong In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, higher carrageenan intake was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes; cause and effect is not established. [1][2][3][4]
  • Palm oil minus 2.5 points
    Strong About half saturated fat; WHO recommends keeping saturated fat to 10% of energy or less. [5][6][7]
  • Modified starch minus 2.5 points
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
  • Canola oil minus 1.5 points
    Emerging High in omega-6 linoleic acid. [9][10][11][12]
  • Natural flavors minus 1.5 points
    Info "Natural flavor" is a legal category (21 CFR 101.22(a)(3)): flavor substances from spices, fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy or fermentation. [13][8]
  • Glycerin minus 1.5 points
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
  • Calcium phosphate minus 0.5 points
    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. [14]
  • Sodium phosphate minus 0.5 points
    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. [14]
  • Sunflower lecithin minus 0.5 points
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [8]
subtotal−18.5

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [8]
  • 6 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 7.5 points
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, flavoring, humectant, modified starch and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [8]
subtotal−25.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Saturated fat 3.5 g / 100 g minus 1.5 points
    Strong Contains some saturated fat. Counted at half for this whole-food category. [5]
  • Salt 1.2 g / 100 g minus 3 points
    Strong High in salt. [15]
subtotal−4.5

TOTAL 52Okay

100 − 48.5 = 51.5 → 52


GTIN 00049568600048 · 2026-04-23

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

High confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy90 kcal
Fat7 g
Saturated fat3.5 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates8 g
Sugars0 g
Fiber0 g
Protein0 g
Salt1.2 g

Serving: 0.25 cup (28 g)

Ingredients

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

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Organic Palm Fruit Oil†, Modified Potato Starch, Expeller-pressed Canola Oil, Natural Flavors ( Contains Autolyzed Yeast), Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Less Than 2% of: Sea Salt, Calcium Phosphate, Bamboo Fiber, Sodium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Lactic Acid, Nutritional Yeast, Organic Chickpea Miso ( Organic Handmade Rice Koji, Organic Whole Chickpeas, Sea Salt, Water, Koji Spores), Sunflower Lecithin, Citric Acid, Annatto

Allergens and diets

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Not palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Sources

  1. Food additive emulsifiers and the risk of type 2 diabetes: analysis of data from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study

    The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · May 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “We found direct associations between the risk of type 2 diabetes and exposures to various food additive emulsifiers widely used in industrial foods, in a large prospective cohort of French adults.”

    doi.org

  2. 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

  3. Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Apr 26, 2018 · Agency assessment

    “However, the Panel noted uncertainties as regards the chemistry, the exposure assessment and biological and toxicological data.”

    doi.org

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  5. Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline

    World Health Organization · Jul 17, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”

    who.int

  6. Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods

    European Food Safety Authority · May 3, 2016 · Agency assessment

    “The highest levels of GE, as well as 3-MCPD and 2-MCPD (including esters) were found in palm oils and palm fats, followed by other oils and fats.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  7. Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food

    European Union (Official Journal) · Apr 25, 2023 · Law

    “Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”

    eur-lex.europa.eu

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  9. 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

  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. 21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Dec 19, 2016 · Law

    “whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”

    ecfr.gov

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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