Whole milk mozzarella and provolone cheese with premium sliced and diced pepperoni with a tomato sauce on a crust large pizza, classic pepperoni

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Whole milk mozzarella and provolone cheese with premium sliced and diced pepperoni with a tomato sauce on a crust large pizza, classic pepperoni receives a safety score of 55/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 ingredients 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
0013087243239
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.125 PIZZA (122 g)

What the Data Says About

Whole milk mozzarella and provolone cheese with premium sliced and diced pepperoni with a tomato sauce on a crust large pizza, classic pepperoni carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 3 flagged ingredients 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, Whole milk mozzarella and provolone cheese with premium sliced and diced pepperoni with a tomato sauce on a crust large pizza, classic pepperoni 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. The Nutri-Score grade of D reflects nutritional balance — calories, saturated fat, sugar, sodium versus fiber, protein, and produce content — which again is a distinct dimension from additive safety and worth weighing alongside the scores above.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Whole milk mozzarella and provolone cheese with premium sliced and diced pepperoni with a tomato sauce on a crust large pizza, classic pepperoni
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Crust
2
Enriched Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced Iron
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Water
10
Palm Oil
11
Soybean Oil
12
Yeast
13
Or Less Of: Bread Crumbs
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Acacia Gum
17
Enzymes
18
Fermented Wheat Flour
19
Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
20
Pasteurized Milk
21
Cheese Culture
22
Sauce
23
Tomato Puree Water
24
Tomato Paste
25
Spice
26
Citric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Safe GRAS
27
Garlic Powder
28
Onion Powder
29
Pepperoni
30
Pork And Beef
31
Spices
32
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
33
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
34
Oleoresin Of Paprika
35
Flavorings
36
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
37
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
38
BHA
Avoid GRAS
39
BHT
Caution GRAS
40
Provolone Cheese
41
Or Less Of: Dried Garlic
42
Dehydrated Parsley
43
Oregano
44
Organic Basil

Full Ingredient List

Crust (enriched flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], water, palm oil, soybean oil, yeast, contains 2% or less of: bread crumbs [wheat flour, sugar, yeast, salt], sugar, salt, acacia gum, wheat flour, enzymes, fermented wheat flour), whole milk mozzarella cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), sauce (tomato puree water, tomato paste), salt, sugar, spice, citric acid, garlic powder, onion powder), pepperoni (pork and beef, salt, spices, dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, flavorings, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, bha, bht, citric acid), provolone cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), contains 2% or less of: dehydrated garlic, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil.

Categories

Meals Pizzas pies and quiches Pizzas

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