Is Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers Safe? Ingredient Analysis
Sargento
This page reviews Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers by Sargento as a snack. Its current score is 60/100, suggesting that it looks generally acceptable but still includes some ingredients worth reviewing.
If you want the short version, start with these flagged ingredients: Soybean Oil, Palm Oil, Sugar.
60 / 100
Why score is 60
The composition includes several processed ingredients like soybean oil and palm oil, which raise quality concerns. The presence of sugar and natural flavor also indicates a less clean profile.
Main concern
Contains palm oil, which raises concerns about sustainability and health implications.
Why it matters: This ingredient is flagged in our analysis based on regulatory and scientific sources. Check the Ingredients section for details and see Data sources for methodology.
Regulation status: Ingredient safety is assessed from EU/EPA/CIR and similar databases; formulations may vary. Always read the product label.
Pros
- Contains Monterey Jack and Colby cheese, providing a source of calcium and flavor.
- Includes jalapeño peppers, adding a spicy kick and potential flavor enhancement.
Concerns
- Contains palm oil, which raises concerns about sustainability and health implications.
- Includes sugar, which contributes to a less favorable nutritional profile.
Who should avoid this product?
You may want to be cautious with this product if you are:
- people with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivity
- people avoiding animal-derived ingredients
Ingredients breakdown
The ingredient notes below are written to explain what each ingredient does in this snack and why it matters.
-
Is Monterey Jack Cheese safe in this snack?
Good
Monterey Jack Cheese is used here as base. Monterey Jack cheese is a natural dairy product that adds flavor and calcium to the snack.
Role in formula: base
Original: Monterey Jack Cheese
-
Is Jalapeno Peppers safe in this snack?
Good
Jalapeno Peppers is used here as flavor. Jalapeño peppers provide a spicy flavor and are a natural ingredient, enhancing the overall taste.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: Jalapeño Peppers
-
Is Colby Cheese safe in this snack?
Good
Colby Cheese is used here as base. Colby cheese is another natural dairy ingredient that contributes to the flavor and texture of the product.
Role in formula: base
Original: Colby Cheese
-
Is Pasteurized Milk safe in this snack?
Good
Pasteurized Milk is used here as base. Pasteurized milk is a key ingredient in cheese production, ensuring safety and quality.
Role in formula: base
Original: Pasteurized Milk
-
Is Cheese Culture safe in this snack?
Good
Cheese Culture is used here as base. Cheese culture is essential for fermentation, contributing to flavor development in cheese.
Role in formula: base
Original: Cheese Culture
-
Is Salt safe in this snack?
Good
Salt is used here as flavor. Salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative, ensuring the product's longevity.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: Salt
-
Is Enzymes safe in this snack?
Medium
Enzymes is used here as stabilizer. Enzymes are used in cheese production to aid in curd formation, but their source and processing can vary.
Role in formula: stabilizer
Original: Enzymes
-
Is Annatto safe in this snack?
Medium
Annatto is used here as colorant. Annatto is a natural colorant used to enhance the visual appeal of cheese, though it is processed.
Role in formula: colorant
Original: Annatto
-
Is Cheddar Cheese safe in this snack?
Good
Cheddar Cheese is used here as base. Cheddar cheese adds a distinct flavor and is a natural source of protein and calcium.
Role in formula: base
Original: Cheddar Cheese
-
Is Whey safe in this snack?
Medium
Whey is used here as base. Whey is a byproduct of cheese production, often used for its protein content but can be processed.
Role in formula: base
Original: Whey
-
Is Wheat Flour safe in this snack?
Medium
Wheat Flour is used here as base. Wheat flour is a common ingredient in crackers, providing structure but may raise gluten concerns.
Role in formula: base
Original: Wheat Flour
-
Is Niacin safe in this snack?
Medium
Niacin is used here as fortificant. Niacin is added for nutritional enrichment, though it is a synthetic form of vitamin B3.
Role in formula: fortificant
Original: Niacin
-
Is Reduced Iron safe in this snack?
Medium
Reduced Iron is used here as fortificant. Reduced iron is used to fortify the product, but its synthetic nature raises some quality concerns.
Role in formula: fortificant
Original: Reduced Iron
-
Is Thiamine Mononitrate safe in this snack?
Medium
Thiamine Mononitrate is used here as fortificant. Thiamine mononitrate is a synthetic form of vitamin B1 added for enrichment, raising quality concerns.
Role in formula: fortificant
Original: Thiamine Mononitrate
-
Is Riboflavin safe in this snack?
Medium
Riboflavin is used here as fortificant. Riboflavin is a synthetic vitamin B2 used for enrichment, which may not align with clean ingredient standards.
Role in formula: fortificant
Original: Riboflavin
-
Is Folic Acid safe in this snack?
Medium
Folic Acid is used here as fortificant. Folic acid is a synthetic form of vitamin B9 added for nutritional benefits, raising quality concerns.
Role in formula: fortificant
Original: Folic Acid
-
Is Soybean Oil safe in this snack?
Bad
Soybean Oil is used here as emulsifier. Soybean oil is a processed oil that may raise health concerns due to its high omega-6 fatty acid content.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: Soybean Oil
-
Is Palm Oil safe in this snack?
Bad
Palm Oil is used here as emulsifier. Palm oil is a highly processed ingredient associated with health and environmental concerns.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: Palm Oil
-
Is Sugar safe in this snack?
Bad
Sugar is used here as sweetener. Sugar is added for sweetness but contributes to a less favorable nutritional profile.
Role in formula: sweetener
Original: Sugar
-
Is Leavening safe in this snack?
Medium
Leavening is used here as thickener. Leavening agents are used to create texture in crackers but can be processed and raise quality concerns.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: Leavening
-
Is Salt safe in this snack?
Good
Salt is used here as flavor. Salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative, ensuring the product's longevity.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: Salt
-
Is Soy Lecithin safe in this snack?
Medium
Soy Lecithin is used here as emulsifier. Soy lecithin is used as an emulsifier but is a processed ingredient that may raise concerns for some consumers.
Role in formula: emulsifier
Original: Soy Lecithin
-
Is Natural Flavor safe in this snack?
Medium
Natural Flavor is used here as flavor. Natural flavor is used to enhance taste but can be vague in terms of sourcing and processing.
Role in formula: flavor
Original: Natural Flavor
-
Is Potato Starch safe in this snack?
Medium
Potato Starch is used here as thickener. Potato starch is a processed ingredient used for texture but may not align with clean ingredient standards.
Role in formula: thickener
Original: Potato Starch
How we score
Our safety scores and ingredient breakdowns are based on regulatory and scientific sources. See Data sources & methodology and How Zerotox works for full details.
Product info
Product ID: 3219547
More from this brand: Sargento products in Zerotox
Similar products: snack in Zerotox database
Allergens detected: wheat
Report / complain: You may report errors or complain about this product or its formulation to hello [at] zeroto.app . Published for transparency.