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Cheese Balls
Utz
Barcode 041780003591
AVOIDIs Cheese Balls safe?
Cheese Balls by Utz is rated AVOID by BannedPantry: its label lists 3 ingredients that are banned or restricted outside the US — Partially Hydrogenated Oil (EU, UK, Canada); Yellow 5 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 6 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)). All of them are still legal to sell in the US.
Flagged ingredients (3)
Partially Hydrogenated Oilhigh
Banned or restricted in: EU, UK, Canada
Canada prohibits PHOs by listing them on Part 1 of the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances (in force 17 Sept 2018); the EU limits industrial trans fat to 2 g per 100 g of fat under Regulation (EU) 2019/649. US FDA also revoked GRAS status for PHOs (effective June 2018).
Yellow 5high
Banned or restricted in: EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)
Southampton Six colour (tartrazine, E102): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'.
Yellow 6medium
Banned or restricted in: EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)
Southampton Six colour (Sunset Yellow FCF, E110): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the 'activity and attention in children' warning.
Cleaner swaps for Cheese Balls
Same category, none of the flagged ingredients.
Thrive Market Organic Pantry Starter Box
Thrive Market
Curated clean pantry essentials, all organic or non-GMO.
Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers Variety
Simple Mills
Clean ingredients, no artificial colors or preservatives.
Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats
Bob's Red Mill
USDA Organic, whole grain, no preservatives. Pantry staple swap.
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Full ingredient list
CORN MEAL, VEGETABLE OIL (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWINGS: COTTONSEED, CORN, CANOLA, SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER), WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), MILKFAT, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, BUTTERMILK SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVOR, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, LACTIC ACID, YELLOW #6, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, YELLOW #5, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. CONTAINS NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED FATS. THIS IS A GLUTEN FREE FOOD.
Common questions
Is Cheese Balls banned in the United States?
No — every ingredient in Cheese Balls is currently legal to sell in the US. However, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 are banned or restricted in other regions: Partially Hydrogenated Oil (EU, UK, Canada); Yellow 5 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)); Yellow 6 (EU (warning label required), UK (warning label required)).
Which ingredients in Cheese Balls are flagged?
Partially Hydrogenated Oil: Canada prohibits PHOs by listing them on Part 1 of the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances (in force 17 Sept 2018); the EU limits industrial trans fat to 2 g per 100 g of fat under Regulation (EU) 2019/649. US FDA also revoked GRAS status for PHOs (effective June 2018). Yellow 5: Southampton Six colour (tartrazine, E102): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the label 'may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children'. Yellow 6: Southampton Six colour (Sunset Yellow FCF, E110): EU-AUTHORISED but foods must carry the 'activity and attention in children' warning.
What does the AVOID rating mean?
BannedPantry checks each labeled ingredient against food and cosmetic safety standards from the EU, UK, Canada, Japan, and California, with a citation for every flag. AVOID means at least one labeled ingredient is banned or restricted by a major overseas regulator, or is high-severity under our methodology. Ratings are never influenced by brands.
What can I buy instead of Cheese Balls?
Comparable products without the flagged ingredients include Thrive Market Organic Pantry Starter Box (Thrive Market), Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers Variety (Simple Mills), Bob's Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats (Bob's Red Mill). You can also scan any product's barcode free at https://bannedpantry.com to check it before you buy.
Run a full ingredient scan
See exactly which ingredients in Cheese Balls are banned overseas, with sources.
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