DiGiorno Ultimate Pepperoni Rising Crust Pizza
Summary
DiGiorno Ultimate Pepperoni Rising Crust scores 12/100. A textbook ultra-processed frozen pizza with multiple compounding harms: pepperoni cured with sodium nitrite (IARC Group 1 known human carcinogen, causally linked to colorectal cancer in the WHO 2015 monograph) plus BHA/BHT. The crust is bleached enriched flour with sugar, soybean oil, mono/diglycerides, DATEM, L-cysteine hydrochloride, and calcium propionate. The shredded cheese is cut with modified food starch and powdered cellulose. Owned by Nestlé.
At a glance
Key ingredients 16
Sodium NitriteVery Bad
Curing agent in the pepperoni. Forms N-nitrosamines in the stomach during digestion — IARC Group 1 (KNOWN human carcinogen). The 2015 WHO/IARC monograph on processed meat causally linked nitrite-cured meats to colorectal cancer.
See more about Sodium Nitrite →BHA & BHTVery Bad
Synthetic preservatives in the pepperoni. BHA is listed on California Proposition 65 as a known carcinogen; both are restricted or banned in the European Union, Japan, and several other jurisdictions. Suspected endocrine disruptors.
See more about BHA & BHT →Enriched Bleached Wheat FlourBad
Refined bleached flour with synthetic vitamin replacement. Stripped of bran and germ; rapid glycemic spike.
See more about Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour →Sugar (in crust + sauce)Bad
Added sugar in both the dough and the tomato sauce — unnecessary in a savory pizza, contributes to the metabolic load.
See more about Sugar (in crust + sauce) →Soybean OilVery Bad
Industrial seed oil, hexane-extracted, high in omega-6 linoleic acid, almost certainly from glyphosate-sprayed GMO soy.
See more about Soybean Oil →Mono- and DiglyceridesBad
Emulsifier. The FDA does not require trans-fat disclosure for mono-/diglycerides themselves, so they often contain residual industrial trans fats not declared on the label.
See more about Mono- and Diglycerides →DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides)Bad
Synthetic dough conditioner. Banned in Australia. Animal studies have shown adrenal hyperplasia and heart fibrosis at high doses.
See more about DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono- and Diglycerides) →L-Cysteine HydrochlorideBad
Dough softener. Industrially produced from human hair, duck feathers, or hog hair — the FDA does not require disclosure of the source.
See more about L-Cysteine Hydrochloride →Calcium PropionateBad
Mold inhibitor preservative. Recent rodent and human pediatric studies link propionate preservatives to behavioral changes, irritability, and sleep disturbance.
See more about Calcium Propionate →Modified Food StarchBad
Chemically modified cornstarch used as cheese filler — almost certainly from GMO corn.
See more about Modified Food Starch →Powdered CelluloseBad
Wood-pulp fiber added as anti-caking agent in the shredded cheese. Inert but reduces actual cheese density and is a marker of cost-cutting.
See more about Powdered Cellulose →Natural and Artificial FlavorsBad
Undisclosed synthetic and 'natural' flavor compounds; FDA flavor loophole hides the actual chemistry.
See more about Natural and Artificial Flavors →Tomato PureeGood
Real tomatoes — the only genuinely whole-food ingredient in the formula.
See more about Tomato Puree →Mozzarella CheeseNeutral
Real cheese — but cut with modified food starch and powdered cellulose for the shredded blend.
See more about Mozzarella Cheese →Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion PowderGood
Real seasoning components.
See more about Spices, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder →Pepperoni (Pork, Beef, Salt)Neutral
Conventional pork/beef cure base — the harms come from the nitrite + BHA/BHT additives listed above.
See more about Pepperoni (Pork, Beef, Salt) →Processing
Ultra-Processed Foods
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