Safe

Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix

by Hamburger helper

Scores 100/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with no flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0016000437111 · Serving size 0.333 cup (50 g)

The verdict

Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix by Hamburger helper scores 100/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 55 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 0 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

100/100
Safe safety score
0
flagged ingredients of 55 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix

Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix by Hamburger helper carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix 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 Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 19,967 products we've scored in the Meals category, the average safety score is 95.1/100. Hamburger Helper, Ultimate Creamy Stroganoff Pasta & Sauce Mix scores 4.9 points above that category average (100/100 vs. 95.1/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Enriched Pasta
2
Wheat Flour
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
Water
9
Acidified Sour Cream
10
Milk
11
Cream
12
Corn Starch
13
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
14
Guar Gum
15
Mono And Diglycerides
16
Sodium Phosphate
17
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
18
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
19
Natural Flavor
20
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
21
To Preserve Freshness
22
Corn Starch
23
Enriched Flour
24
Iron
25
Soybean Oil
26
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
27
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
28
Tomato*
29
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
30
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
31
Yeast Extract
32
Artificial Color
33
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
34
Corn
35
Soy
36
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
37
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
38
Calcium Lactate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
39
Parsley*
40
Onion*
41
Cellulose Gum
42
Spice
43
Dried Beef Stock
44
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
45
Anticaking Agent
46
Mushroom*
47
Soy Lecithin
48
Corn Syrup*
49
Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten
50
Garlic*
51
Soy Sauce*
52
Wheat
53
Soybeans
54
Beef Fat
55
Citric Acid. Freshness Preserved By Sorbic Acid And Tocopherol

Full Ingredient List

Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Acidified Sour Cream [Milk, Cream, Modified Corn Starch, Gelatin, Guar Gum, Mono And Diglycerides, Sodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (To Preserve Freshness)], Corn Starch, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Soybean Oil, Salt, Modified Whey, Modified Corn Starch, Cream, Tomato*, Potassium Chloride, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Lactic Acid, Artificial Color, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn, Soy), Mono And Diglycerides, Natural Flavor, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Diacetate, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Calcium Lactate, Parsley*, Onion*, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Spice, Beef Stock, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Mushroom*, Soy Lecithin, Corn Syrup*, Hydrolyzed Wheat Gluten, Garlic*, Soy Sauce* (Wheat, Soybeans, Salt), Beef Fat, Citric Acid. Freshness Preserved By Sorbic Acid And Tocopherol.

Categories

Meals Pasta dishes

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.