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Great Value Fat Free Cottage Cheese Small Curd 0% Milfat
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Cheese spreads

Great Value Fat Free Cottage Cheese Small Curd 0% Milfat

24 oz

Okay out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains added sugars
  • Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 41

Great Value Fat Free Cottage Cheese Small Curd 0% Milfat scores 41 out of 100 (Okay) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. Lactose: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
  3. 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

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

Better cottage cheese

The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.

The Receipt

Fat Free Cottage Cheese Small Curd 0% Milfat

START100

Ingredients

  • Lactose
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Carrageenan
    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. [4][5][6][7]
  • Color added (not named)
    Info 21 CFR 101.22(k) requires certified color additives (FD&C dyes and their lakes) to be declared by name. [8][9]
  • Maltodextrin
    Info An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [9]
  • Guar gum
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [9]
  • 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. [10][11][9]
  • Locust bean gum
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [9]
  • Xanthan gum
    Info An ingredient class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [9]
  • Potassium sorbate
    Strong EFSA (2019) set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg body weight (as sorbic acid); generally recognized as safe in the US. [12][13]
subtotal−36

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [9]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), emulsifier, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and thickener, stabilizer or gelling agent. [9]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 g

  • Salt 0.9 g / 100 g
    Strong High in salt. [14]
  • Protein 12.3 g / 100 g
    Info A good source of protein. [2]
subtotal−1
TOTAL 41Okay

100 − 59.5 = 40.5 → 41

Can’t score above 79. Contains lactose, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]

GTIN 00078742373393 · 2026-07-08

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy70 kcal
Fat0 g
Saturated fat0 g
Trans fat0 g
Carbohydrates6.1 g
Sugars6.1 g
Added sugars0.9 g
Fiber0 g
Protein12.3 g
Salt0.9 g

Serving: 0.5 cup (113 g)

Ingredients

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

SKIM MILK, NONFAT DRY MILK, LACTOSE, SALT, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, MALTODEXTRIN, GUAR GUM, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, LOCUST BEAN GUM, XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CARBON DIOXIDE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), CHEESE CULTURES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE.

Allergens and diets

Contains: Milk

  • Not vegan
  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest cheese spreads in the US

More from Great Value

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. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

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

    International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) · IARC

    monographs.iarc.who.int

  8. 21 CFR 101.22(k) Declaring color additives in the ingredient list

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

    “Color additives not subject to certification and not otherwise required by applicable regulations in part 73 of this chapter to be declared by their respective common or usual names may be declared as “Artificial Color,” “Artificial Color Added,” or “Color Added””

    ecfr.gov

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

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  10. 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

  11. 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

  12. Opinion on the follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E200) and potassium sorbate (E202) as food additives

    European Food Safety Authority · Mar 1, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “By applying a default uncertainty factor of 100, the Panel established a group ADI expressed as 11 mg sorbic acid/kg bw per day for sorbic acid (E 200) and its potassium salt (E 202).”

    doi.org

  13. 21 CFR 182.3640 Potassium sorbate

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Nov 22, 2016 · Law

    ecfr.gov

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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