macaroni salad

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

macaroni salad receives a safety score of 95/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient that have been flagged for potential safety concerns by regulatory or consumer advocacy databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0011110032256
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

macaroni salad carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework. The score is computed by mapping each labeled ingredient against FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status and CSPI Chemical Cuisine classifications, then penalizing the overall product for each additive rated as caution-or-worse. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Our scan identified 1 flagged ingredient in this product — components that at least one official source has classified as requiring caution, targeted avoidance, or further evaluation. Flagged ingredients are the items most likely to surface in FDA inspection findings, state-level ingredient bans, or outbreak-related recall notices, so the per-ingredient breakdown below is the most useful lens for anyone screening this product for a specific dietary concern.

On the NOVA processing scale, macaroni salad is classified as Group 4 (Ultra-processed). NOVA measures industrial processing intensity rather than ingredient-level safety, so it complements the SAFFA and CSPI ratings: a product can be clean on additive flags but heavily processed, or lightly processed but carry individually flagged ingredients. Combining both lenses gives a fuller picture than either alone.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for macaroni salad
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cooked Enriched Macaroni
2
Water
3
Semolina Wheat Wheat
4
Niacin Ferrous Sulfate
5
Thamine Mononitrate
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Salad Dressing Sombean Onl
9
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
10
Vinegar
11
Egg Yolks
12
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Natural Flavor
15
Mustard Flour
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
16
Paprikal Water
17
Carrots
18
Or Less Of Bell Peppers
19
Bell Peppers
20
Citric Acd
21
Celery Pickle Relish
22
Qucumbers Sugar Salt Xanthan Gum
23
Alum
24
Natural Flavors
25
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
26
Turmeric
27
For Color Onions
28
White Pepper
29
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
30
Soybean Oil
31
Mustard Lour Celery Seed Sodum Ascorbate
32
Ascorbic Acid. Potassium Sorsate And Sodium Benzoate Preservatives
33
Wheat
34
Eggs

Full Ingredient List

cooked enriched macaroni (water, semolina wheat wheat, niacin ferrous sulfate, thamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, salad dressing sombean onl, water, sugar, vinegar, egg yolks, modified cornstarch, salt, natural flavor, mustard flour, paprikal water, sugar, carrots contains 2% or less of bell peppers (bell peppers, water, citric acd), celery pickle relish (qucumbers sugar salt xanthan gum, alum, natural flavors, polysorbate 80, turmeric (for color onions, salt, white pepper, xanthan gum, soybean oil, mustard lour celery seed sodum ascorbate, ascorbic acid. potassium sorsate and sodium benzoate preservatives, contains: wheat, eggs.

Data Sources

Data as of 2025. Source: OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Product data from OpenFoodFacts (ODbL). Ingredient safety ratings from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details.

This information is for reference only and does not constitute dietary or medical advice.

Related

Data sourced from official FDA, USDA, and CDC food-safety databases. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe Editorial