Cheesy Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 5 flagged ingredients

Cheesy Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 5 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
0016000260276
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1/3 cup as pkgd (28 g) (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Cheesy Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 5 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, Cheesy Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper 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 Cheesy Beef Pasta Hamburger Helper
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 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
Enriched Pasta
2
Wheat Fiour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
5
Thiamin Mononitrate
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Corn Starch
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Or Less Of: Maltodextrin
11
Ricotta Cheese*
12
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
13
Milkfat
14
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
15
Vegetable Oil
16
Canola
17
Soybean
18
Sunflower Oil
19
Com
20
Soy
21
And Wheat Protein
22
Hydrolyzed
23
Natural And Artificial Flavor
24
Msg
25
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
26
Monoglycerides
27
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
28
Cheddar Cheese
29
Milk
30
Cultures
31
Enzymes
32
Color
33
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
34
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
35
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
36
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
37
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
Spice
39
Onion*
40
Modified Com Starch
41
Buttermilk
42
Nonfat Milk
43
Blue Cheese*
44
Safflower Oil
45
Sodium Phosphate
46
Milk Protein Concentrate
47
Yeast Extract
48
Parmesan Cheese
49
Enzyme Modified Blue Cheese
50
Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese
51
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
52
Anticaking Agent
53
E150d. *
54
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

enriched pasta (wheat fiour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), corn starch, salt. contains 2% or less of: maltodextrin, ricotta cheese* (whey, milkfat, lactic acid, salt), vegetable oil (canola, soybean, and/or sunflower oil), com, soy, and wheat protein (hydrolyzed), natural and artificial flavor, monosodium glutamate, sugar, monoglycerides, citric acid, cheddar cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), whey, color (caramel color, yellow 5 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake), spice, onion*, modified com starch, buttermilk, nonfat milk, blue cheese* (milk, salt, cultures, enzymes), safflower oil, sodium phosphate, milk protein concentrate, yeast extract, parmesan cheese, enzyme modified blue cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), enzyme modified cheddar cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), silicon dioxide (anticaking agent). *dried contains milk, soy, wheat

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