Pepperidge Farm: the research is about the category

Five USDA records carry this brand, and one published finding is actually about it, a recall. Everything else on this page is about ultra-processed food as a class. The strongest of it is a systematic review of four randomized trials in 455 people, median follow-up 12 weeks. Cutting ultra-processed food changed nothing in 30 of the 42 outcomes measured. The one controlled feeding trial in that set did lower energy intake and body weight, at low to moderate certainty, while the other three taught people to eat differently and so changed more than the crackers. The same reviewers say four trials cannot settle the question, and we found no randomized trial of any single brand of cracker. What the composition table does say is that 3.5 oz (100 g) of Goldfish Pizza baked snack crackers carries 0.775 mg of thiamin, 0.565 mg of riboflavin and 6.785 mg of niacin, which is 65, 43 and 42 percent of the Daily Value. That 100 g is more than a large single serving bag, which the survey table puts at 85 g, against 3 g for one cracker. Those figures come from the enrichment of the flour rather than from anything the recipe adds.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• The USDA reference entry for Goldfish Pizza baked snack crackers gives 0.775 mg thiamin, 0.565 mg riboflavin and 6.785 mg niacin per 3.5 oz (100 g), which is 65, 43 and 42 percent of the Daily Value. — Five USDA composition records for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, reference entry FDC 167596 (n = 5 records) Evidence E source
  Thiamin 0.775 mg (range 0.775 to 0.84), riboflavin 0.565 mg (range 0.463 to 0.565), niacin 6.785 mg (range 5.887 to 6.785) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• US survey data put median thiamin intake at 1.503 mg a day in men and 1.162 mg in women, with 21 and 30 percent below the estimated average requirement. — US adults 19 and over, NHANES 2021-2023, one day of recall Evidence E source
  Thiamin median 1.503 mg men and 1.162 mg women, 21 and 30 percent below EAR at ages 31 to 50; riboflavin median 1.909 and 1.482 mg, 16 and 15 percent below EAR

What a real portion looks like

• In the US survey tables one cheese cracker weighs 3 g, a bite-size cup 60 g and a small single serving bag 45 g. — US dietary survey portion sizes for the category Crackers, cheese, which is where Goldfish are counted Evidence E source
  1 cracker 3 g, 1 miniature or bite size 1 g, 1 cup bite size 60 g, small single serving bag 45 g, large bag 85 g, 100 calorie package 21 g

What your body absorbs

• In a double-blind randomized trial in 25 adults with overweight, 70 days of daily crackers enriched with rumenic and punicic acid raised both acids in plasma and put rumenic acid into red blood cells, both at P below 0.001. — 25 subjects with overweight, 70 days of daily enriched crackers versus control crackers (n = 25) Evidence B source
  Rumenic and punicic acid up in plasma (P < 0.001), rumenic acid incorporated into red blood cells (P < 0.001)
• Observational data from 443 young children link a higher share of calories from ultra-processed foods with 0.12 mg less bioavailable iron a day and roughly 2.5 times the odds of anemia. — 443 children aged 6 to 59 months living in slums, one 24 hour recall, hemoglobin measured (n = 443) Evidence C source
  Bioavailable iron beta -0.12 mg (95% CI -0.23 to -0.01), anemia OR 2.45 (95% CI 1.26 to 4.78), excess weight OR 2.16 (95% CI 1.05 to 4.46)

What cooking and storage change

• Baking is what puts acrylamide into this kind of product: 80 biscuits on the Spanish market averaged 343 micrograms per kg, from under 20 to 2144, and 70 percent sat below the EU benchmark. — 80 commercial biscuits sampled on the Spanish market, measured by LC-ESI-MS/MS (n = 80 products) Evidence D source
  Mean acrylamide 343 ug/kg, range under 20 to 2144 ug/kg, 70 percent below the EU Regulation 2017/2158 benchmark, 45 percent decline in wheat-based recipes since 2007

What it does to your health

• A systematic review of randomized trials found that cutting ultra-processed foods changed nothing in 30 of 42 outcomes across 455 participants followed for a median of 12 weeks. — 455 participants in four randomized trials, three educational interventions and one controlled feeding trial, median follow-up 12 weeks (n = 455) Evidence A source
  No significant effect in 30 of 42 outcomes; the feeding trial cut energy intake and body weight with low to moderate certainty
• In 25 adults with overweight, eating about 67.5 g of fatty acid enriched crackers every day for 70 days failed to reduce waist circumference, the trial primary endpoint. — 25 subjects with overweight and abdominal adiposity, double-blind randomized trial, one cracker serving of about 2.4 oz (67.5 g) daily as an afternoon snack for 70 days (n = 25) Evidence B source
  Primary endpoint not met, no reduction in waist circumference, no change in body composition, insulin resistance, cholesterol or triglycerides
• Pooled data from seven cohorts and 1,272,317 people link the highest ultra-processed food intake with a 32 percent higher long-term rate of fatty liver disease, with no clear signal for liver cancer. — 1,272,317 participants in seven prospective cohort studies (n = 1272317) Evidence C source
  MASLD pooled HR 1.32 (95% CI 1.11 to 1.58), primary liver cancer pooled HR 1.21 (95% CI 0.52 to 2.79)

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 166,427 UK Biobank adults followed for 1.5 million person years, the top third of ultra-processed food intake carried a 24 percent higher rate of kidney stones. — 166,427 middle-aged UK Biobank participants, 1,510,300 person-years, 1369 incident kidney stones (n = 166427) Evidence C source
  Hazard ratio 1.24 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.43) for the top versus bottom tertile, 1.32 (1.15 to 1.51) excluding yogurt and cereals
• A Tehran case-control study of 366 people found no link between total ultra-processed food intake and calcium oxalate kidney stones, with the signal confined to sweets and confectionery. — 366 adults in Tehran, 183 with confirmed calcium oxalate stones and 183 matched controls, 147-item food frequency questionnaire (n = 366) Evidence C source
  Total UPF OR 0.73 (95% CI 0.39 to 1.30), sweets and confectionery OR 2.11 (95% CI 1.15 to 3.90), dairy OR 0.54 (0.29 to 0.97)
• In July 2018 the maker pulled four Goldfish varieties from US shelves because whey powder in the seasoning had itself been recalled over possible Salmonella, and no illnesses were reported. — Four varieties of Goldfish crackers sold in the United States, recall announced 23 July 2018 (n = 4 varieties) Evidence E source
  Voluntary recall of Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar, Flavor Blasted Sour Cream and Onion, Baked with Whole Grain Xtra Cheddar and Mix Xtra Cheddar plus Pretzel; no illnesses reported

What people believe that the data does not support

• Among 1156 Chinese undergraduates, those eating fewer types of ultra-processed food had markedly lower odds of anxiety, and knowing which foods count as ultra-processed varied with sex, year and background. — 1156 Chinese undergraduates, structured questionnaire on identifying 16 food items plus the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (n = 1156) Evidence C source
  Adjusted odds ratio 0.285 (95% CI 0.184 to 0.440) for anxiety in those eating fewer UPF types

Who this works differently for

• Pooled observational data on 155,000 adolescents link the highest ultra-processed food intake with 63 percent greater odds of overweight or obesity. — 155,000 adolescents in 23 primary studies (n = 155000) Evidence C source
  Odds ratio 1.63 (95% CI 1.36 to 1.95) for highest versus lowest intake

What is still unknown

• Only 4 randomized trials with 455 participants and a median 12 weeks exist, and the reviewers say their number and methodological limits prevent any definitive conclusion about ultra-processed foods and health. — The randomized trial literature on reducing ultra-processed food intake up to April 2024 (n = 4 trials) Evidence A source
  No definitive conclusion possible, further well designed RCTs called for

The bottom line

A portion is much smaller than the bag. In the US survey tables one cheese cracker weighs 3 g, a bite-size cup 60 g, a small single serving bag 45 g and a large bag 85 g. The brand is not in those tables at all, which count Goldfish under the category Crackers, cheese, and every per 3.5 oz (100 g) figure has to be scaled down to the handful you actually eat. Keep the B vitamins in proportion too. US adults take a median 1.503 mg of thiamin a day in men and 1.162 mg in women, with 21 and 30 percent of 31 to 50 year olds below the estimated average requirement. That is the background the crackers land on, not a shortfall they were made to fix. One trial fed crackers on purpose. Twenty-five adults with overweight and abdominal adiposity ate about 67.5 g of fatty acid enriched crackers as an afternoon snack every day for 70 days, double blind. The primary endpoint failed. Waist circumference did not fall, and neither did body composition, insulin resistance, cholesterol or triglycerides. The fats themselves did get in, with rumenic and punicic acid rising in plasma and rumenic acid entering red blood cells, both at P below 0.001. The control group ate crackers as well, so the comparison was one fat blend against another in 25 people, using a cracker built for the study. The cautions belong to the category rather than to the box. In 166,427 UK Biobank adults followed over 1,510,300 person-years, the top third of ultra-processed intake came with a 24 percent higher rate of kidney stones (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.43). Intake came from 24-hour recalls, and the link showed up only in people at low and medium genetic risk. A case-control study of 366 adults in Tehran found nothing for total ultra-processed intake and calcium oxalate stones (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.30). Its signal sat in sweets and confectionery instead, and its authors ask to be read as association rather than cause. Baking is what puts acrylamide into products of this kind. Eighty biscuits sampled on the Spanish market averaged 343 micrograms per kg, from under 20 to 2144, with 70 percent below the EU benchmark, which is a measurement of Spanish biscuits and not of these crackers or of any effect in a person. The single brand-specific fact here is the recall. In July 2018 the maker voluntarily pulled four Goldfish varieties from US shelves because whey powder in the seasoning had itself been recalled over possible salmonella, and no illnesses were reported. For children and young people the data is observational and none of it knew the brand. Among 443 children aged 6 to 59 months living in slums, a higher share of calories from ultra-processed food went with 0.12 mg less bioavailable iron a day (95% CI -0.23 to -0.01) and 2.45 times the odds of anemia (95% CI 1.26 to 4.78). The iron there was calculated by algorithm from one 24-hour recall. Pooled data on 155,000 adolescents put the highest ultra-processed intake at 1.63 times the odds of overweight or obesity (95% CI 1.36 to 1.95), and odds are not risk. Seven cohorts covering 1,272,317 people link the highest intake with a 32 percent higher long-term rate of fatty liver disease (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.58). Liver cancer showed nothing clear (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.79), and the authors call that evidence preliminary. A survey of 1156 Chinese undergraduates found much lower odds of anxiety among those eating fewer types of ultra-processed food (OR 0.285, 95% CI 0.184 to 0.440). That is a snapshot in which the direction of the arrow is unknown, and it mostly shows how unevenly people recognize which foods count as ultra-processed at all.

Sources

1. pepf-daily-r3-01 · composition dataset
   Pepperidge Farm, Goldfish, Baked Snack Crackers, Pizza (FDC 167596, sr_legacy): thiamin 0.775 mg 65% DV, range over 4 records 0.775-0.84; riboflavin 0.565 mg 43% DV, range 0.463-0.565; niacin 6.785 mg 42% DV, range 5.887-6.785
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2019, FDC 167596 · checked 2026-09-25
2. pepf-daily-r3-03 · national dietary survey
   NHANES 2021-2023, adults 19+: thiamin median men 1.503 mg, women 1.162 mg, below EAR (ages 31-50) men 21% at 1 mg, women 30% at 0.9 mg; riboflavin median men 1.909 mg, women 1.482 mg, below EAR men 16% at 1.1 mg, women 15% at 0.9 mg
   NHANES 2021-2023, US dietary intake tables · checked 2026-09-25
3. pepf-daily-r3-02 · portion dataset
   Crackers, cheese, FNDDS 54304000, fdc_id 2708150: 1 cracker NFS 3 g; 1 miniature/bite size 1 g; 1 cup bite size 60 g; 1 small or medium single serving bag 45 g; 1 large single serving bag 85 g; 1 100 calorie package 21 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 54304000, fdc_id 2708150 · checked 2026-09-25
4. pepf-daily-r3-07 · randomized controlled trial
   The fatty acid composition of plasma and red blood cells was modified by the type of cracker consumed. In the test group, RmA and PunA significantly increased (P < 0.001) in plasma and RmA was efficiently incorporated into human red blood cells (P < 0.001).
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
5. pepf-daily-r3-08 · cross-sectional study
   The association analysis showed that children with calorie share relative to UPF had a decrease of -0.12 mg of bioavailable iron (β: -0.12; 95 % CI: -0.23; -0.01). It was also possible to identify that the higher calorie share of UPF increased their chances of being classified as with excess weight and anemic by up to 116 % (OR: 2.16; 95 % CI 1.05; 4.46) and 145 % (OR: 2.45; 95 % CI: 1.26; 4.78), respectively.
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2025 · checked 2026-09-25
6. pepf-daily-r3-13 · market analytical survey
   Acrylamide was determined by LC-ESI-MS/MS in 80 commercial biscuits marketed in Spain. The mean acrylamide content was 343 μg kg-1 (from <20 to 2144 μg kg-1). Rye, teff and oat-based biscuits exhibited the highest content (2144, 1559 and 1424 μg kg-1, respectively). 70% of the samples were below the benchmark level established by the EU Regulation 2017/2158.
   Food Funct, 2019 · checked 2026-09-25
7. pepf-daily-r3-04 · systematic review of RCTs
   Three educational intervention studies and one controlled feeding trial were included, evaluating the effect of reducing the consumption of UPFs (455 participants, median follow-up, 12 weeks). No significant effects were observed in 30 out of the 42 outcomes evaluated. The controlled feeding trial in adults with stable weight showed a reduction in energy intake, carbohydrates, and fat (low certainty of evidence), as well as in body weight, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol (moderate certainty of evidence).
   Front Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-25
8. pepf-daily-r3-06 · randomized controlled trial
   Each group consumed a serving of the respective crackers (± 67.5 g) as an afternoon snack every day for 70 days. ... However, the primary endpoint was not met as there was no reduction in waist circumference. There was also no difference in body composition (liver fat, adiposity, muscle fat) or insulin resistance levels between the two groups.
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
9. pepf-daily-r3-10 · meta-analysis of prospective cohorts
   We included 7 studies with a total of 1,272,317 participants. The highest UPF consumption was significantly associated with an increased long-term risk of MASLD (pooled HR 1.32, 95 % CI 1.11 to 1.58). Moreover, the available evidence suggests no statistically significant association of higher UPF consumption and the long-term risk of developing primary liver cancer (pooled HR 1.21, 95 % CI 0.52 to 2.79), including hepatocellular carcinoma (pooled HR 0.98, 95 % CI 0.66 to 1.45) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (HR 1.00, 95 % CI 0.50 to 2.03).
   Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
10. pepf-daily-r3-11 · prospective cohort
    Compared with participants in the first tertile of UPF intake, those in the third tertile had a 24% (HR: 1.24; 95% CI 1.07-1.43) increased risk of kidney stone. Compared to total UPF intake, the consumption of UPF excluding yogurt and cereals was associated with a greater risk of kidney stones (HR: 1.32; 95% CI 1.15-1.51).
    Eur J Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-25
11. pepf-daily-r3-12 · case-control study
    Confounding factor adjustment (Model 2) showed that the highest tertile of sweets and confectionery intake was associated with higher odds of calcium oxalate kidney stones compared with the lowest tertile (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.15-3.90, P-trend = 0.017). ... However, total UPF intake did not show a significant relationship with the odds of calcium oxalate kidney stones (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.39-1.30, P-trend = 0.289).
    Nutrition, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
12. pepf-daily-r3-14 · recall announcement
    Pepperidge Farm has been notified by one of its ingredient suppliers that whey powder in a seasoning that is applied to four varieties of crackers has been the subject of a recall by the whey powder manufacturer due to the potential presence of Salmonella. ... No illnesses have been reported.
    US Food and Drug Administration, recall announcement, 23 July 2018 · checked 2026-09-25
13. pepf-daily-r3-15 · cross-sectional survey
    College students who take in fewer UPF types per week are associated with lower anxiety (adjusted odds ratio = 0.285; 95% confidence interval: 0.184-0.440). Further analysis revealed that sex, grade, major, and growth environment were significantly related to the college students' UPF-related knowledge and intake behavior levels.
    Nutr Health, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
14. pepf-daily-r3-09 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    Twenty-three studies involving 155,000 adolescents were included. Adolescents with higher UPF consumption had 63% greater odds of overweight or obesity compared with those with lower intake (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.36-1.95).
    PLoS One, 2026 · checked 2026-09-25
15. pepf-daily-r3-05 · systematic review of RCTs
    The limited number and significant methodological limitations of the studies prevent definitive conclusions. Further well-designed and conducted RCTs are needed to understand the effects of UPF consumption on health.
    Front Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-25