Chipotle macaroni & cheese meal kit
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Chipotle macaroni & cheese meal kit 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.
What the Data Says About
Chipotle macaroni & cheese meal kit 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, Chipotle macaroni & cheese meal kit 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
| 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 | D | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Macaroni and cheese (blanched enriched macaroni [water, semolina, egg whites, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], skim milk, american cheese spread [cheddar and colby cheese {pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}, water, whey, sodium phosphate, whey protein concentrate, skim milk, milkfat, salt, carrageenan, cellulose gum], red peppers, cheese sauce [cheddar cheese {pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}, water, milkfat, whey, enzyme modified cheese {pasteurized milk, water, sodium phosphate, milkfat, salt, cheese culture, enzymes}, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, salt, lactic acid, sodium alginate, sorbic acid {preservative}], margarine [palm oil, soybean oil, water, salt, vegetable mono & diglycerides, soy lecithin, sodium benzoate {a preservative}, citric acid, natural & artificial flavor, vitamin a palmitate added, beta carotene {color}, whey], neufchatel cheese [pasteurized milk and cream, cheese cultures, salt, stabilizers {xanthan and/or carob bean and/or guar gums}], 2% or less of soybean oil, green onions, modified cornstarch, salt, bleached enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], seasoning [cheddar and monterey jack cheeses {cultured milk, salt, enzymes}, whey, soybean oil, salt, maltodextrin, sour cream {cultured cream, nonfat milk}, natural flavor, disodium phosphate, cultured whey, citric acid, lactic acid, annatto], roasted red bell pepper puree, maltodextrin, spices, onion puree, jalapenos [jalapenos, vinegar, salt, natural flavor], mono - and diglycerides, corn oil, olive oil, sugar, molasses, carrot puree, celery, dried onions, palm oil, autolyzed yeast extract, garlic puree, vinegar, xanthan gum, guar gum, lactic acid, calcium lactate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, smoke flavoring). monterey jack cheese with peppers (pasteurized milk, pepper blend [jalapeno, habanero, serrano, and red bell peppers], cheese culture, salt, enzymes, potato starch and powdered cellulose [to prevent caking], natamycin [mold inhibitor]).
Categories
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.
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