Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up 58% of calories consumed in the US and 67% of children's calories. CheckIt AI analyzed 28,156 grocery products and found 23% (6,534 products) score below 40/100 — indicating high levels of artificial additives, seed oils, and industrial ingredients associated with ultra-processing.
The NOVA classification system, developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, categorizes all food into 4 groups based on the extent and purpose of processing:
| NOVA Group | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Unprocessed or minimally processed | Fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, milk |
| Group 2 | Processed culinary ingredients | Oils, butter, sugar, salt, flour |
| Group 3 | Processed foods | Canned vegetables, cheese, fresh bread |
| Group 4 (UPF) | Ultra-processed food products | Soft drinks, chips, instant noodles, frozen pizzas |
Look for these telltale ingredients that only exist in industrial food production:
Rule of thumb: If it has more than 5 ingredients and you can't recognize some of them, it's likely ultra-processed.
These products scored lowest in our database — loaded with artificial additives, seed oils, and industrial ingredients:
| Product | Brand | Score | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|
| CANDY STORE, RED TWISTS | Holiday Candy Corp, Inc. | 0/100 | ⚠️ e129 ⚠️ e133 ⚠️ e202 ⚠️ e422 ⚠️ e471 🛢️ corn syrup 🛢️ high fructose corn syrup 🛢️ palm oil 🛢️ palm oil and fat 🛢️ corn |
| CORNER STORE, GUMMY WORMS | Hot Stop Foods | 0/100 | ⚠️ e102 ⚠️ e110 ⚠️ e129 ⚠️ e133 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e420 ⚠️ e428 ⚠️ e903 🛢️ corn syrup |
| FROSTED STRAWBERRY TOASTER PASTRIES, FROSTED STRAWBERRY | The Kellogg Company | 0/100 | ⚠️ e110 ⚠️ e129 ⚠️ e133 ⚠️ e150c ⚠️ e322 ⚠️ e322i ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e341 ⚠️ e341i ⚠️ e415 ⚠️ e428 ⚠️ e450 ⚠️ e450i ⚠️ e500 ⚠️ e500ii 🛢️ corn syrup 🛢️ high fructose corn syrup 🛢️ palm oil 🛢️ palm oil and fat 🛢️ yellow corn flour 🛢️ corn 🛢️ corn flour 🛢️ corn starch |
| MARUCHAN, INSTANT LUNCH, RAMAN NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES, CHICKEN VEGETABLE | Maruchan, Inc. | 0/100 | ⚠️ e319 ⚠️ e322 ⚠️ e322i ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ canola 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| MEAT TRIO PIZZA ITALIAN SAUSAGE, BEEF PATTY CRUMBLE & PREMIUM DELI STYLE PEPPERONI, MEDIUM | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. | 0/100 | ⚠️ e150c ⚠️ e160c ⚠️ e235 ⚠️ e250 ⚠️ e320 ⚠️ e321 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e414 ⚠️ e415 🛢️ soybean oil |
| APPLE CINNAMON SOFT BAKED BREAKFAST BARS, APPLE CINNAMON | The Kellogg Company | 0/100 | ⚠️ e322 ⚠️ e322i ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e341 ⚠️ e341ii ⚠️ e401 ⚠️ e407 ⚠️ e412 ⚠️ e422 ⚠️ e460 ⚠️ e461 ⚠️ e471 🛢️ soybean oil |
| Pringles Crisps Cheddar Cheese 5.5oz | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e100 ⚠️ e160c ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| PRINGLES CRISPS CHEESEBURGER 5.96OZ | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e110 ⚠️ e129 ⚠️ e260 ⚠️ e262 ⚠️ e262i ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ soybean oil 🛢️ corn oil 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| Pringles Crisps Jalapeno 5.5oz | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e160c ⚠️ e262 ⚠️ e262ii ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| Pringles Wavy Crisps Fire Roasted Jalapeno 4.8oz | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e262 ⚠️ e262ii ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e410 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| Pringles Crisps Cheeseburger 5.5oz | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e110 ⚠️ e129 ⚠️ e133 ⚠️ e260 ⚠️ e262 ⚠️ e262i ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
| Pringles Crisps French Onion Dip 5.5oz | Kellogg Company US | 0/100 | ⚠️ e270 ⚠️ e330 ⚠️ e471 ⚠️ e621 ⚠️ e627 ⚠️ e631 🛢️ sunflower oil 🛢️ vegetable oil |
Every Friday: the 5 worst products we found this week, FDA recall alerts, and the cleanest new finds at your grocery store.
Trusted by 27,000+ app users. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, starches, sugars, proteins) combined with additives like artificial colors, flavors, emulsifiers, and preservatives. They're designed for long shelf-life, hyperpalatability, and branding — not nutrition. Examples: soft drinks, chips, instant noodles, frozen pizzas, packaged cookies.
NOVA is a food classification system from the University of São Paulo that sorts foods into 4 groups by processing level. Group 4 (ultra-processed) contains industrial ingredients not found in home kitchens. It's now used in dietary guidelines across 6+ countries.
Download CheckIt AI and scan any product's barcode. The app flags all ultra-processed markers including artificial additives, seed oils, and preservatives. You can also use our free Ingredient Banned Checker to paste any ingredient list online.
Research links UPFs to obesity (+26% higher risk), type 2 diabetes (+44%), cardiovascular disease (+29%), depression (+22%), and all-cause mortality (+14%). A 2024 study in The Milbank Quarterly compared their public health impact to tobacco.
Join 50,000+ families scanning smarter.
1,388 products scanned today · Point your camera at any label
Get the Free App →Free forever · No credit card · Works on iPhone & Android
CheckIt AI. (2026). "Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Checker — Is Your Food Ultra-Processed? | CheckIt AI". Climaverse PBC. Retrieved from https://getcheck.it/ultra-processed-food-checker"Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Checker — Is Your Food Ultra-Processed? | CheckIt AI." CheckIt AI, Climaverse PBC, 2026-04-17. https://getcheck.it/ultra-processed-food-checker.<a href="https://getcheck.it/ultra-processed-food-checker">Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Checker — Is Your Food Ultra-Processed? | CheckIt AI — CheckIt AI</a>@misc{checkit2026ultraprocessedfoodchecker,
title = {Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Checker — Is Your Food Ultra-Processed? | CheckIt AI},
author = {CheckIt AI},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Climaverse PBC},
url = {https://getcheck.it/ultra-processed-food-checker},
note = {Retrieved 2026-04-17}
}