Rice in pots
Ben's Original Creamy Four Cheese with Vermicelli
8.5 oz
Score
- Ultra-processed
- Contains added sugars
- Contains seed oils
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 44
Ben's Original Creamy Four Cheese with Vermicelli scores 44 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 6 points 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers: Industrial additive classes found: color (added), flavor enhancer, flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and modified starch. Emerging
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better frozen meals
-
3 Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Trader Joe's · 340 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 89 out of 100 , 45 points higher -
INDIAN MATTAR PANEER Curried Peas & Cheese with Chana Masala Amy's · 10 oz (283 g) Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 84 out of 100 , 40 points higher -
INDIAN PALAK PANEER Creamed Spinach & Cheese with Rajmah Dal Amy's · 283 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 90 out of 100 , 46 points higher -
3 CHEESE PASTA with EGGPLANT Trader Joe's · 370 g Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 83 out of 100 , 39 points higher -
Three Cheese Lasagna Michael Angelo's · 11 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 79 out of 100 , 35 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Creamy Four Cheese with Vermicelli
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Canola oil minus 2.5 points
- Modified starch minus 2.5 points
- Maltodextrin minus 1.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 1.5 points
- Yeast extract minus 1.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 5 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 6 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Salt 0.9 g / 100 g minus 3 points
100 − 56.5 = 43.5 → 44
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 141 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 3.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.6 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25.6 g |
| Sugars | 1.3 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0.6 g |
| Protein | 3.2 g |
| Salt | 0.9 g |
Serving: 1 pouch (240 g)
Ingredients
- WATER
- PARBOILED LONG GRAIN RICE
- VERMICELLI PASTA (DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA, FERROUS SULFATE, FOLIC ACID, NIACIN, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE)
- CANOLA OIL
- MODIFIED CORN STARCH
- WHEY
- SALT
- NONFAT MILK
- CHEDDAR / ROMANO/BLUE / MOZZARELLA CHEESE (COW'S MILK, SALT, CHEESE CULTURES, ENZYMES)
- POTASSIUM CHLORIDE
- ONION
- MALTODEXTRIN
- SUGAR (high concern)
- NATURAL FLAVORS (CONTAINS MILK)
- YEAST EXTRACT
- CULTURED WHEY
- BUTTERMILK
- VITAMINS AND MINERALS (CALCIUM (CALCIUM CARBONATE), IRON (IRON PHOSPHATE), VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID)
- TORULA YEAST
- LACTIC ACID
- ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR)
- TURMERIC EXTRACT (COLOR)
- ENZYME MODIFIED PARMESAN / BLUE/CHEDDAR /ROMANO CHEESE (PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK, CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES)
- DRIED (not recognized)
Label text, as published
WATER, PARBOILED LONG GRAIN RICE, VERMICELLI PASTA (DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA, FERROUS SULFATE, FOLIC ACID, NIACIN, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMINE MONONITRATE), CANOLA OIL, LESS THAN 2% OF: MODIFIED CORN STARCH, WHEY*, SALT, NONFAT MILK*, CHEDDAR / ROMANO/BLUE / MOZZARELLA CHEESE* (COW'S MILK, SALT, CHEESE CULTURES, ENZYMES), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ONION*, MALTODEXTRIN, SUGAR, NATURAL FLAVORS (CONTAINS MILK), YEAST EXTRACT, CULTURED WHEY*, BUTTERMILK*, VITAMINS AND MINERALS [CALCIUM (CALCIUM CARBONATE), IRON (IRON PHOSPHATE), VITAMIN B3 (NIACINAMIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE MONONITRATE), FOLIC ACID], TORULA YEAST*, LACTIC ACID, ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR), TURMERIC EXTRACT (COLOR), ENZYME MODIFIED PARMESAN / BLUE/CHEDDAR /ROMANO CHEESE (PASTEURIZED COW'S MILK, CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), *DRIED
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Vegetarian
- Not gluten-free
- Palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
Packaging
O 7 other plastics
Context only: no points in v1.
More rice in pots on GoodSwap
More from Ben's Original
Sources
-
Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children
“In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”
who.int
-
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030
“Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”
cdn.realfood.gov
-
Added and free sugars should be as low as possible
“Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”
efsa.europa.eu
-
“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
-
“These data provide support for current recommendations to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat for primary prevention of CHD.”
doi.org
-
21 CFR 101.22 Foods; labeling of spices, flavorings, colorings and chemical preservatives
“whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional.”
ecfr.gov
-
“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
-
“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