Food Quality Guideby KarbCoach

Food Quality Guide by KarbCoach

Great Value Honey Ham, Honey: Food Integrity analysis

Updated 2026-08-22 · Great Value

Quick answer

Lower integrity

Great Value honey ham, honey received a Food Integrity Score of 51 out of 100 (lower integrity). This reflects ultra-processed and high additive load. This honey ham has several additives that push it towards a factory-processed profile. Sodium-based additives and vague flavors make it better for occasional rather than frequent consumption. Homemade versions with just honey and salt present a cleaner option. Main considerations include additive load, family watchlist, and processing. Try oven-baked ham with just salt and honey.

Food Integrity Score 51/100

What stood out on the label?

  • Ultra-processed
  • High additive load
  • Transparency: Low

What to watch?

  • Additive load
  • Family Watchlist
  • Processing

Simpler options to consider

  • Try oven-baked ham with just salt and honey

You are viewing ingredients and processing. Switch to Longevity for nutrition and longer-term eating pattern fit.

Source data, GTIN, and Food Quality Guide analysis details

Product facts

Product
Great Value Honey Ham, Honey
Category
Meat & Poultry (source: Pepperoni, Salami & Cold Cuts)
GTIN / UPC
00078742071794
Serving size
28 g (1 SLICE)
Source data — ingredients
Ingredient list from product label data (see Sources)
Food Quality Guide analysis
Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards. See methodology under Sources.
Data last verified

Food Integrity results

Honey Ham, Honey

Great Value

Lower integrity

Warning Signs

Sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, and flavor cramped the ingredient wildness.

Consider This

Potassium lactate, sodium diacetate, and sodium phosphate indicate factory-driven formulation.

Good Substitutes

Try oven-baked ham with just salt and honey for a simpler, natural alternative.

Overall Assessment

Lower integrity

This honey ham has several additives that push it towards a factory-processed profile. Sodium-based additives and vague flavors make it better for occasional rather than frequent consumption. Homemade versions with just honey and salt present a cleaner option.

Key Highlights

What stood out

  • Additive load
  • Family Watchlist
  • Processing

Family Watchlist

Ingredients some users may personally want to know about.

  • DEXTROSE — Refined sugar concern
  • POTASSIUM LACTATE — Preservative content
  • SODIUM PHOSPHATE — Preservative content
  • SODIUM DIACETATE — Preservative content
  • SODIUM ERYTHORBATE — Preservative content
  • SODIUM NITRITE — Controversial for health reasons

Highest concern ingredients

  • SODIUM NITRITE (6/10) — Controversial for health reasons.
  • SODIUM DIACETATE (6/10) — Acidulant preservative.
  • POTASSIUM LACTATE (6/10) — Synthetic preservative.

Better choice tips

  • Try oven-baked ham with just salt and honey.

Ingredients

Ingredient list

HAM CURED WITH WATER, HONEY, SALT, DEXTROSE, POTASSIUM LACTATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, FLAVOR.

Formulations can vary — check the package label for the final word.

Highest-concern ingredients first. Expand an item for notes.

  1. POTASSIUM LACTATEConcern 6/10 — Moderate concernPreservativeWatchlist · Additive

    What this is

    Preservative

    Processing category

    Synthetic / man-made

    Main concern area

    Additive load

    Why it matters

    Inhibits microbial growth.

    Additional note

    Synthetic preservative.

    Family watchlist

    Preservative content

  2. SODIUM DIACETATEConcern 6/10 — Moderate concernPreservativeWatchlist · Additive

    What this is

    Preservative

    Processing category

    Synthetic / man-made

    Main concern area

    Additive load

    Why it matters

    Stabilizes pH levels.

    Additional note

    Acidulant preservative.

    Family watchlist

    Preservative content

  3. SODIUM NITRITEConcern 6/10 — Moderate concernColor additiveWatchlist · Additive

    What this is

    Color additive

    Processing category

    Synthetic / man-made

    Main concern area

    Family Watchlist

    Why it matters

    Preserves color, prevents spoilage.

    Additional note

    Controversial preservative.

    Family watchlist

    Controversial for health reasons

  4. SODIUM PHOSPHATEConcern 5/10 — Moderate concernPreservativeWatchlist · Additive

    What this is

    Preservative

    Processing category

    Synthetic / man-made

    Main concern area

    Additive load

    Why it matters

    Holds moisture and stabilizes texture.

    Additional note

    Common preservative.

    Family watchlist

    Preservative content

View all 10 ingredient assessments
  1. FLAVORConcern 5/10 — Moderate concernVague ingredientWatchlist · Vague label term

    What this is

    Vague ingredient

    Processing category

    Unknown / not listed

    Main concern area

    Additive load

    Why it matters

    Unspecified flavor components.

    Additional note

    Vague flavor system.

    Family watchlist

    Vague composition concern

  2. SODIUM ERYTHORBATEConcern 4/10 — Mild concernPreservativeWatchlist · Additive

    What this is

    Preservative

    Processing category

    Synthetic / man-made

    Main concern area

    Additive load

    Why it matters

    Maintains color of cured meats.

    Additional note

    Antioxidant preservative.

    Family watchlist

    Preservative content

  3. DEXTROSEConcern 3/10 — Mild concernSweetenerWatchlist

    What this is

    Sweetener

    Processing category

    Natural refined

    Main concern area

    Ingredient concern

    Why it matters

    Adds sweetness, replacement for sugar.

    Additional note

    Refined sugar variant.

    Family watchlist

    Refined sugar concern

  4. HAM CURED WITH WATERConcern 2/10 — Very low concernPreserved meat

    What this is

    Preserved meat

    Processing category

    Processed

    Why it matters

    Common practice for meat preservation.

    Additional note

    Standard preservation method.

  5. HONEYConcern 0/10 — No meaningful concernNatural sweetener

    What this is

    Natural sweetener

    Processing category

    Whole food

    Why it matters

    Minimal processing, natural origin.

    Additional note

    Natural sweetener component.

  6. SALTConcern 0/10 — No meaningful concernSeasoning

    What this is

    Seasoning

    Processing category

    Whole food

    Why it matters

    Essential seasoning in cooking.

    Additional note

    Basic seasoning.

The score estimates how close a food is to simple, recognizable, high-integrity ingredients and is not a medical safety rating. Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions.

How this product may fit different goals

The same food can look different depending on what matters most to you. Here is a general preview of how this product may align with several common goals.

  • Low-Spike Stability

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low-Spike Stability, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Sweetener/sugar on watchlist (see Food Integrity)

    See more for this goal

  • Heart-Healthy Eating

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Heart-Healthy Eating, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Added-sodium ingredients (Mentions "salt", "cured", "sodium phosphate". See ingredients for details.)

    See more for this goal

  • Low Sugar Lifestyle

    Watch-outs

    Metabolic Health

    For someone prioritizing Low Sugar Lifestyle, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Sweetener/sugar on watchlist (see Food Integrity)

    See more for this goal

  • Vegetarian

    Watch-outs

    Dietary Patterns

    For someone prioritizing Vegetarian, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Meat/seafood ingredients (Mentions "ham". See ingredients for details.)

    See more for this goal

  • Vegan

    Watch-outs

    Dietary Patterns

    For someone prioritizing Vegan, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Animal-derived ingredients (Mentions "ham", "honey". See ingredients for details.)

    See more for this goal

  • Plant-Based

    Watch-outs

    Dietary Patterns

    For someone prioritizing Plant-Based, the analysis identifies considerations that may matter more than the general product score alone.

    A consideration: Animal-derived ingredients (Mentions "ham", "honey". See ingredients for details.)

    See more for this goal

See how this product fits your goals

Choose what matters most to you and explore a more detailed interpretation of this product's nutrition, ingredients, and tradeoffs.

Personalize this analysis

Understanding the Food Integrity analysis

What the Food Integrity analysis evaluates

The Food Integrity analysis focuses on how a packaged food is formulated and made. It examines processing level, ingredient quality, additives, oils, sweeteners, purity cues, and how clearly a label communicates what is in the product. The Food Integrity Score summarizes that formulation and transparency picture on a 0–100 scale. It is not a full nutrient report and it is not a personalized meal plan.

Why processing, ingredients, and transparency matter

Processing level and ingredient quality shape what you are actually eating beyond calories on the label. Additives, industrial oils, and intense sweeteners can change how clean or heavily engineered a product feels, even when the front of pack looks wholesome. Purity and transparency matter because incomplete or marketing-heavy labeling can hide tradeoffs that only show up when the full ingredient list is reviewed carefully.

Who may prioritize Food Integrity

Some people care mainly about Food Integrity because their dietary goals center on formulation rather than macros alone. Examples include checking vegetarian or vegan suitability, preferring simpler ingredient sources, avoiding certain additives or sweeteners, watching oil choices, or preferring less processed options. For those priorities, the Food Integrity Score can be the more practical first read.

How Food Integrity differs from Longevity

Food Integrity is the focused analysis of processing, ingredients, additives, purity, and transparency. Longevity is the broader analysis of nutritional composition, metabolic and dietary characteristics, processing, and ingredient quality together. Favorable nutrition values do not necessarily mean strong Food Integrity: a product can look balanced on macros yet still rely on heavy processing or additives that the Food Integrity analysis flags in more detail.

Why the two analyses overlap—and why to review Longevity too

The analyses overlap intentionally. Food Integrity–related characteristics contribute to Longevity, and Longevity still benefits from the same ingredient-quality lens. They are not competing verdicts; they answer different questions at different depths. Reviewing the Longevity analysis can add information about nutritional composition, metabolic characteristics, and dietary balance that Food Integrity alone does not emphasize. Looking at both usually gives the most complete understanding of tradeoffs.

Common questions about this product

Is Great Value Honey Ham, Honey highly processed?

Food Integrity lists processing level as Ultra-processed. That reflects formulation and processing signals from the ingredient analysis — not a medical or regulatory classification.

Why are the Longevity and Food Integrity scores different?

Longevity emphasizes nutrition per serving and longer-term dietary alignment. Food Integrity emphasizes ingredients, additives, processing, and label transparency. The same product can score differently on those lenses.

How much fiber is in one serving?

Great Value Honey Ham, Honey shows about 0g of fiber per labeled serving in the Longevity nutrition facts.

Does it contain added sugar?

Great Value Honey Ham, Honey: 0g total sugar per serving; sweetener signals include dextrose. Confirm the current package Nutrition Facts and ingredient list.

What helped the Longevity Score?

Key positives called out in the analysis include: Good protein source; Low in calories.

What prevented a perfect Longevity Score?

Key concerns noted include: High sodium content; Multiple additives; Processed ingredients.

Who might evaluate this product differently?

People prioritizing different goals (for example lower carbs, higher protein, or minimally processed eating) may weigh the same meat & poultry differently. Use the goal preview on this page, then personalize in KarbCoach for your priorities.

Other published analyses in Meat & Poultry, selected from the same Food Quality Guide catalog.

Source data and Food Quality Guide analysis

  1. Public label databases (including USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts) — Possible sources for package ingredients and nutrition.
  2. Food Quality Guide analysis (Longevity and Food Integrity) — Independent Longevity and Food Integrity scorecards.
  3. How the Longevity Score is calculated
  4. How the Food Integrity Score is calculated
  5. Scoring models: KarbCoach Longevity and Food Integrity.
  6. Independent analysis. No manufacturer affiliation.
  7. Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions. Full sources and safety details.
Label accuracy and safety information

Formulations can vary by region, size, and packaging. Check the package label for ingredients, allergens, and nutrition. Not medical advice — do not use this site or the KarbCoach mobile app for allergy or health decisions.

Sources, citations & safety

See how this item lines up with your goals

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