cottage cheese

by The Kroger Co.

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

cottage cheese by The Kroger Co. receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0011110505811
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

cottage cheese by The Kroger Co. carries a composite safety score of 85/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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, cottage cheese 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 cottage cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 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
Cultured Skim Milk
2
Water
3
Cream
4
Pineapple
5
Milk Protein Concentrate
6
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
7
Milk Protein Isolate
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
10
Cultured Dextrose
11
Corn Starch
12
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
13
Sucralose
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER
Avoid Approved
14
Tricalcium Phosphate
15
Pectin
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
16
Agar
17
Natural Flavor
18
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
19
Guar Gum
20
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
21
To Maintain Freshness
22
Lemon Juice Concentrate
23
Lactase
24
Enzyme
25
Cheese Coagulator
26
Acesulfame Potassiúm
27
Turmeric
28
Color
29
Carragéenan
30
Locust Bean Gum
31
Vitamin A Palmitáte
32
Vitamin D3
33
Active Cultures With Lacidophilus And B Bifidum
34
Milk

Full Ingredient List

cultured skim milk, water, cream, pineapple, milk protein concentrate, whey, milk protein isolate, salt, maltodextrin, cultured dextrose, modified corn starch, gelatin, sucralose, tricalcium phosphate, pectin, agar, natural flavor, potassium chloride, guar gum, sorbic acid (to maintain freshness), lemon juice concentrate, lactase (enzyme), cheese coagulator (enzyme), acesulfame potassiúm, turmeric (color), carragéenan, locust bean gum, vitamin a palmitáte, vitamin d3, active cultures with lacidophilus and b bifidum, contains: milk,

Categories

Dairies Fermented foods Fermented milk products Cheeses Fresh cheeses Cottage cheeses

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