Swedish Meatballs

by Stouffer's

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Swedish Meatballs by Stouffer's 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
0013800120090
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 package (326 g)

What the Data Says About

Swedish Meatballs by Stouffer's 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, Swedish Meatballs 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 C 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 Swedish Meatballs
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 C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sauce: Water
2
Sour Cream
3
Cultured Cream
4
Nonfat Milk
5
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
6
Rendered Beef Fat
7
Soybean Oil
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
Organic Onions
10
Cooked Beef
11
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
12
Soybeans
13
Wheat
14
Tomato Paste
15
Bleached Wheat Flour
16
Datem
Emulsifier
Safe
17
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
18
Cultured Whey
19
Dried Beef Stock
20
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
21
Vinegar
22
Molasses
23
Guar Gum
24
Spices
25
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
26
Tamarind
27
Natural Flavors
28
Seasoning
29
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
30
Natural Flavor
31
Enzyme Modified Butterfat
32
Organic Onions
33
Garlic. Meatballs: Cooked Beef And Pork
34
Water
35
Organic Rolled Oats
36
Soy Protein Concentrate
37
With Caramel Color
38
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
39
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
40
Gum Arabic
41
Beef Stock Concentrate
42
Beef
43
Sodium Phosphates
44
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
45
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
46
Soybean Oil. Cooked Pasta: Water
47
Semolina
48
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
49
Dehydrated Parsley

Full Ingredient List

Sauce: water, dried sour cream (cultured cream, nonfat milk), modified cornstarch, rendered beef fat, soybean oil, salt, dried onions, cooked beef, dried soy sauce (soybeans, salt, wheat), tomato paste, bleached wheat flour, datem, caramel color, cultured whey, beef stock, sugar, vinegar, molasses, guar gum, spices, dried garlic, tamarind, natural flavors, seasoning (maltodextrin, flavor, enzyme modified butterfat), onions, garlic. meatballs: cooked beef and pork, water, rolled oats, soy protein concentrate (with caramel color), whey protein concentrate, modified cornstarch, dried onions, salt, autolyzed yeast extract, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, gum arabic, beef stock concentrate, beef, flavor, salt, sodium phosphates), spices, soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), cultured whey, dextrose, soybean oil. cooked pasta: water, semolina, soybean oil, wheat gluten, parsley.

Categories

Frozen foods

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