Pasta salad with tuna
Premier Pantry Cheesy tuna
150 g
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
- No synthetic dyes
Why it scores 32
Premier Pantry Cheesy tuna scores 32 out of 100 (Poor) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Lactose: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong
- minus 9 points Salt 3.4 g / 100 g: Very high in salt. Strong
Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.
Better canned tuna
-
Wild Elite Pure Tuna Safe Catch · 5 oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 100 out of 100 , 68 points higher -
Solid Light Tuna In Olive Oil Rio Mare · 3x80gr Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
Canned Tuna Fishwife Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil Fishwife Tinned Seafood · 67 g Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 47 points higher -
Albacore Tuna in Spring Olive Oil Fishwife · 3.2 oz Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 47 points higher
The same kind of product, at least 10 points higher, sold in the US. Never paid placements.
The Receipt
Cheesy tuna
Ingredients
- Lactose minus 20 points
- Maltodextrin minus 2.5 points
- Modified starch minus 2.5 points
- Palm oil minus 1.5 points
- Caseinate minus 1.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 1.5 points
- Silicon dioxide minus 0.5 points
- Potassium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Sodium hexametaphosphate minus 0.5 points
- Whey protein concentrate / isolate minus 0.5 points
- Sodium phosphate minus 0.5 points
- Natural flavors minus 0.5 points
- Yeast extract minus 0.5 points
- Soybean oil minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 9 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 8 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Salt 3.4 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Energy 367 kcal / 100 g minus 2 points
- Protein 10 g / 100 g plus 2 points
100 − 68.5 = 31.5 → 32
Can’t score above 79. Contains lactose, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 367 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 1.7 g |
| Saturated fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 73.3 g |
| Sugars | 3.3 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Salt | 3.4 g |
Serving: 1 portion (30 g)
Ingredients
- ENRICHED MACARONI: WHEAT FLOUR
- FERROUS SULFATE
- NIACIN
- CALCIUM CARBONATE
- THIAMIN MONONITRATE
- RIBOFLAVIN
- FOLIC ACID
- SEASONING: CORN STARCH
- MALTODEXTRIN
- WHEY
- SALT
- FOOD STARCH MODIFIED
- PALM OIL CREAMER (PALM OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM CASEINATE (CONTAINS MILK), MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, SILICON DIOXIDE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE)
- CITRIC ACID
- CHEDDAR CHEESE POWDER (WHEY, CHEDDAR CHEESE, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, LACTOSE, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, BUTTER, NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS CELERY), CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, ENZYMES)
- EXTRACTIVE OF ANNATTO
- ANNATTO POWDER
- TURMERIC
- SPICE
- BUTTER POWDER (BUTTER (CREAM AND SALT), BUTTERMILK POWDER)
- NATURAL CHEESE FLAVOR
- YEAST EXTRACT
- SOYBEAN OIL
Label text, as published
ENRICHED MACARONI: WHEAT FLOUR, FERROUS SULFATE, NIACIN, CALCIUM CARBONATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID. SEASONING: CORN STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY, SALT, FOOD STARCH MODIFIED, PALM OIL CREAMER (PALM OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM CASEINATE (CONTAINS MILK), MONO - AND DIGLYCERIDES, SILICON DIOXIDE, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CHEDDAR CHEESE POWDER [WHEY, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, LACTOSE, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), NATURAL FLAVOR (CONTAINS CELERY), CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, ENZYMES], EXTRACTIVE OF ANNATTO, ANNATTO POWDER, TURMERIC, SPICE, BUTTER POWDER (BUTTER (CREAM AND SALT), BUTTERMILK POWDER), NATURAL CHEESE FLAVOR, YEAST EXTRACT, SOYBEAN OIL CONTAINS: MILK, WHEAT CONTAINS A BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENT
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Celery
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More from Premier Pantry
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
-
Saturated fatty acid and trans-fatty acid intake for adults and children: WHO guideline
“WHO recommends that adults and children reduce saturated fatty acid intake to 10% of total energy intake (strong recommendation).”
who.int
-
Process contaminants in vegetable oils and foods
“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
-
“Glycidyl fatty acid esters, expressed as glycidol”
eur-lex.europa.eu
-
“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
-
Re-evaluation of mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E 471) as food additives
“The available studies did not raise any concern with regard to genotoxicity.”
doi.org
-
EFSA issues new advice on phosphates
“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
-
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
-
“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
-
“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
-
“Table 3: Criteria for drinks (per 100ml)”
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
-
“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
-
Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome
“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
-
“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