TallowTallow
Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese

Original Cream Cheese

29Avoid

Contaminants · 4

1 at/over limit
From lab tests of this product’s family
Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese (US, no whey protein)
This product wasn’t tested · results may differ

In the family’s tests: measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Lead121 ppbof 5 ppb
Over the limit — 24×FDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L
Measured in: Original Cream Cheese, 8 oz Brick
ArsenicNDof 10 ppb
Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.010 mg/L (= EPA MCL)
Measured in: Original Cream Cheese, 8 oz Brick
CadmiumNDof 5 ppb
Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.005 mg/L
Measured in: Original Cream Cheese, 8 oz Brick
MercuryNDof 2 ppb
Not detectedFDA bottled-water Standard of Quality, 21 CFR 165.110(b) — 0.002 mg/L
Measured in: Original Cream Cheese, 8 oz Brick

Ingredients · 4

GoodCautionAvoid

,,,

Healthier swaps

Same shelf, cleaner ingredients

Browse Cheese

Common questions

Is Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese healthy?

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese scores 29/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in, plus lab results from its product family, Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese (US, no whey protein). It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese?

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese lists 4 ingredients, starting with Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt and Carob Bean Gum. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese?

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese compare to other cheese?

At 29/100 Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese scores worse than most cheese we have scored. A higher-scoring option in cheese is Organic Valley Stringles Organic String Cheese at 97/100.

Is Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese organic?

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese is not certified organic in our data.

Has Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese been lab tested?

Not this product itself. It shares a base recipe (Pasteurized milk and cream, salt, carob/guar gum, cheese culture; no whey protein, fruit, nut or cocoa) with the other products in its family, Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese (US, no whey protein), and 1 product in its family has been lab tested. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Those results are in the family's Contaminants section above; its own results may differ.

Does Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese contain heavy metals?

Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese itself has not been tested for heavy metals, but other products in its family, which share its base recipe, have: a lab detected lead at 121 ppb against a 5 ppb limit in Original Cream Cheese, 8 oz Brick. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Its own results may differ.

Full methodology: how we score products.

More in Cheese

80

Colby Jack Cheese

Giant Eagle

80

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

80

Sliced Muenster Natural Cheese

Sargento

80

Fancy Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese

Best Choice

80

Feta Crumbles

PRESIDENT

80

Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Great Value