Cheeses
Aldi Cheese dip and cracker sticks
Score
- Ultra-processed
- High in salt
- High in saturated fat
- Contains added sugars
- Contains emulsifiers studied for gut effects
- Contains seed oils
- Contains palm oil
Why it scores 11
Aldi Cheese dip and cracker sticks scores 11 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:
- minus 20 points Sugar: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 20 points Corn syrup solids: An added sugar. Strong
- minus 18 points 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.
Better crackers
-
Almond Nut-Thins Cheddar Cheese Blue Diamond Almonds · 120.5 g Less saturated fat · No added sugars Score 56 out of 100 , 45 points higher -
Original Cheese Snack Parm Crisps · 5 oz Not ultra-processed · No added sugars Score 75 out of 100 , 64 points higher -
Cheesy snack crackers made with real cheese Winco Foods · 12.4 oz/351 g Less saturated fat · No added sugars Score 57 out of 100 , 46 points higher -
Tesco Biscuits For Cheese 500G Tesco Not ultra-processed · Less salt Score 79 out of 100 , 68 points higher -
Good Thins The Cheese One-Three Cheese Nabisco · 3.5 oz/100 g Less salt · Less saturated fat Score 46 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
Cheese dip and cracker sticks
Ingredients
- Sugar minus 20 points
- Corn syrup solids minus 20 points
- Canola oil minus 2.5 points
- Yeast extract minus 1.5 points
- Maltodextrin minus 1.5 points
- Sodium phosphate minus 1.5 points
- Palm oil minus 0.5 points
- Mono- and diglycerides minus 0.5 points
- Sodium alginate minus 0.5 points
- Sorbic acid minus 0.5 points
- Xanthan gum minus 0.5 points
Processing
- Ultra-processed (NOVA 4) minus 18 points
- 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers minus 4.5 points
Nutrition per 100 g
- Sugars 10.7 g / 100 g minus 5 points
- Saturated fat 5.4 g / 100 g minus 2.5 points
- Salt 2.8 g / 100 g minus 9 points
- Energy 357 kcal / 100 g minus 1 points
100 − 89.5 = 10.5 → 11
Can’t score above 79. Contains sugar, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3]
Can’t score above 79. High in saturated fat and salt (above the front-of-pack "high" level). [17]
Nutrition per 100 g
| Energy | 357 kcal |
|---|---|
| Fat | 14.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 5.4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 46.4 g |
| Sugars | 10.7 g |
| Protein | 7.1 g |
| Salt | 2.8 g |
Ingredients
- cracker sticks (enriched wheat flour, sugar, canola oil, salt, yeast extract, baking soda)
- cheese dip (water, pasteurized milk, pasteurized cream, reduced minerals whey, whey, maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, corn syrup solids, palm oil, apo-carotenal (color), cheese culture, distilled monoglycerides, enzymes, lactic acid, naturalflavor, salt, sodium alginate, sorbic acid (preservative), sugar, xanthan gum)
Label text, as published
cracker sticks [enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sugar, canola oil, salt, yeast extract, baking soda), cheese dip [water, pasteurized milk, pasteurized cream, reduced minerals whey, whey, maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, corn syrup solids, palm oil, contains less than 2% of apo-carotenal (color), cheese culture, distilled monoglycerides, enzymes, lactic acid, naturalflavor, salt, sodium alginate, sorbic acid (preservative) , sugar, xanthan gum, contains: milk, wheat
Allergens and diets
Contains: Milk, Wheat, Gluten
- Not vegan
- Not gluten-free
- Not palm-oil-free
Always check the package: recipes change.
More cheeses on GoodSwap
-
Light Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges The Laughing Cow · 8 × 19 g Ultra-processedHigh in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 66 out of 100 Good -
Low Fat Cottage Cheese Darigold · 113 g Ultra-processedContains emulsifiers studied for gut effectsMay contain traces of 1,4-dioxane Score 57 out of 100 Okay -
String Cheese Frigo Cheese Heads · 28 g High in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 Good -
Whipped Cream Cheese Temp Tee · 23 g Ultra-processedHigh in saturated fat Score 71 out of 100 Good -
String Cheese Polly-O · 12 oz High in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 Good -
Polly o string reduced fat mozzarella cheese Polly-O High in saltHigh in saturated fat Score 79 out of 100 Good
More from Aldi
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
-
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
-
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
-
“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
-
“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