Cheetos mac n cheese

by Cheetos

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Cheetos mac n cheese by Cheetos receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0015300014961
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Cheetos mac n cheese by Cheetos carries a composite safety score of 50/100, 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 2 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, Cheetos mac n 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 Cheetos mac n cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Wheat Falour
2
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
3
Whey Alm Oil
4
Canola Oil
5
Cheese Blend
6
Cheddar
7
Romano Daily Value* Monterey Jack
8
Parmesan And Blue Cheeses Mlk 6% Cultures
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Enzymes
11
Modified Corn Starch Corn Syrup Solids
12
Buttermilk
13
Guar Gum
14
Silicon 8% Dicode
15
Natural And Artificial Flavor
16
Msg
17
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
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
Onion Powder
20
Spices
21
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
22
Jalapeno Pepper&quot
23
Garlic 170 Powder
24
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
25
Cultured Nonfat Milk
26
Lactic 28% Acid
27
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
28
Nonfat Dry Milk
29
Annato Extract
30
Colori
31
Sunflower Oil
32
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
33
15% Disodium Inosinate
34
Citric Acio
35
Malic Acio
36
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
37
9% Caramel Color
38
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
39
Turmeric Extract
40
Color
41
Calories 240 Total Fat 5g Sauraled Fat 1.5g Sholesterol &Lt
42
5mg Sdium 630mg Re6oded Sugars Pmtein 7g Riboflavin
43
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
44
Soy Lecithin. &Quot
45
E300
46
Milk
47
Soy And Wheat Ingredients
48
Foood020265-l02-2

Full Ingredient List

wheat falour, maltodextrin, whey alm oil, canola oil, cheese blend (cheddar, romano daily value* monterey jack, parmesan and blue cheeses mlk 6% cultures, salt, enzymes), salt, modified corn starch corn syrup solids, buttermilk, guar gum, silicon 8% dicode, natural and artificial flavor, monosodium glutamate, sodium caseinate, potassium chloride, onion powder, spices, lactose, jalapeno pepper", garlic 170 powder, xanthan gum, cultured nonfat milk, lactic 28% acid, autolyzed yeast extract, nonfat dry milk, annato extract (colori, sunflower oil, disodium guanylate, 15% disodium inosinate, citric acio, malic acio, blue 1, 9% caramel color, red 40, turmeric extract (color), calories 240 total fat 5g sauraled fat 1.5g sholesterol <5mg sdium 630mg re6oded sugars pmtein 7g riboflavin, folic acid, soy lecithin. "dried contains milk, soy and wheat ingredients (foood020265-l02-2)

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