Sargento
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Sargento, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Sargento averages 99.9/100 across the 206 of 294 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 1.5% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 99.9/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 206 scored products
- 294
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 1.5%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 75.6%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 294 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Light Ricotta Cheese; Fat Free Ricotta Cheese; Fun! Balanced Breaks Natural MILD CHEDDAR CHEESE, CHERRIES & BERRIES Flavored Fruit Snacks & Mini Chips Ahoy!; 1.5% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 99.9/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
Catalog evidence
Ingredient-list coverage comes before the score
Only 206 of 294 tracked Sargento records (70.1%) include an ingredient list. The remaining 88 cannot be screened, so the 99.9/100 mean describes the labelled subset rather than the whole brand.
Next check: use the product rows below to verify the labelled subset, then compare the current package for any unscored item.
What the Data Says About Sargento
Sargento: 294 products tracked, 206 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 99.9/100, 1.5% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
Because ingredient lists cover only 70.1% of tracked records, this average is a description of the labelled subset, not a brand-wide tier. The coverage gap is the dominant limitation. Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Sargento's 1.5% flagged share is 16.5 points below that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Sargento processing intensity
Sargento's NOVA-classified set is 197 products: 75.6% ultra-processed (Group 4, 149 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 149. That ultra-processed share sits 2.7 points below the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Sargento shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Sargento concentrates in Dairies (111, 83% of this top-five); Snacks (15); Plant-based foods and beverages (4); Cheddar-jack-cheese (2); Cheese-and-crackers (1).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dairies | 96 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Snacks | 13 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 3 | 100/100 | 0% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Sargento's 1.5% flagged share is measured across 206 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Sargento flagged share vs large-brand cohort
1.5% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
2% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (99.9/100) summarizes 206 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Sargento product score distribution
Brand average 99.9/100 across 206 scored products
100 1st percentile sits above 1% of the 206 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 90–100
- 3 scored products (1%)
- 100 and above
- 203 scored products (99%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Sargento relies most on Carrageenan, an industry staple
Across the 206 Sargento products scored here, Carrageenan appears in 2. It is used by 2,390 other brands in this database (6.8% of them), so its presence says more about the category than about this brand. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Sargento products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Carrageenan | 2 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Caramel Coloring | 1 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Sargento records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (6 ingredients and 100/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 6 ingredients
- Median score
- 100/100
The outlined point is Light Ricotta Cheese, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (1). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Light Ricotta Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Fat Free Ricotta Cheese: 5 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Fun! Balanced Breaks Natural MILD CHEDDAR CHEESE, CHERRIES & BERRIES Flavored Fruit Snacks & Mini Chips Ahoy!: 53 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Cheese Bakes Aged White Cheddar & Rosemary: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- CHEESE BAKES PARMESAN & OREGANO: 23 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Mild Cheddar Shredded Cheese: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced Gouda Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Traditional Cut Mozzarella Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Mozzarella Traditional Cut Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Shredded Natural Mild Cheddar Cheese: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Artisan Blends Parmesan Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Shredded Reduced Fat Low Moisture Mozzarella Cheese: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Artisan Blrnds Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese: 10 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Natural Mild Sliced Cheddar Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Natural Deli Style Sliced Colby Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced Gouda Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced Muenster Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced Havarti Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sharp Cheddar Sliced Cheddar Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Medium Cheddar Sliced Cheddar Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- COLBY-JACK NATURAL CHEESE off the block: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Pepper Jack: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Provolone Sliced Provolone Cheese with Natural Smoke Flavor: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Mozzarella Sliced Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Reduced Sodium Colby-Jack Cheese: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sharp Provolone Cheese: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Aged Swiss Sliced Swiss Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Deli Style Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Swiss Sliced Swiss Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Natural Swiss Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Vermont Sharp White Cheddar: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced reduced fat swiss natural cheese, swiss: 5 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Sliced Reduced Fat Provolone Natural Cheese With: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Reduced Fat Medium Cheddar Cheese: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Reduced Fat Colby-Jack: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Pepper Jack Sliced Reduced Fat Monterey Jack Cheese With Jalapeño & Habanero Peppers: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Provolone: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Ultra Thin Swiss Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Ultra Thin Colby-Jack Cheese: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Natural Cheese Mild Cheddar Ultra Thin Cheddar Cheese: 1 resolved ingredient, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- SHARP CHEDDAR: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Ultra Thin Sliced Pepper Jack Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Colby natural cheese sliced ultra thin: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cheddar-jack natural cheese slices, cheddar-jack: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Baby Swiss Natural Cheese: 4 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- SMOKEHOUSE CHEDDAR SLICED CHEDDAR CHEESE WITH NATURAL SMOKE FLAVOR: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Natural blends natural deli style sliced mild: 6 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Colby-Pepper Jack Sliced Colby-Jack Cheese with Jalapeño & Habanero Peppers: 9 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Sliced Cheddar Cheese: 8 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Sargento
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 244 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Sargento: closest on tracked product count (294 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (99.9/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sargento food safe? ▼
Sargento has an average safety score of 100/100 across the 206 of 294 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 1.5% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Sargento products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 294 Sargento products. 206 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 88 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Sargento catalog? ▼
Sargento has 197 NOVA-classified products; 75.6% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 149 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Sargento catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Sargento concentrates in Dairies (111, 83% of this top-five); Snacks (15); Plant-based foods and beverages (4); Cheddar-jack-cheese (2); Cheese-and-crackers (1).
Does Sargento use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Sargento items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Sargento profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Light Ricotta Cheese, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (1) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Carrageenan appears in 2 scored Sargento products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Sargento's 99.9/100 average and 1.5% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
