Four Cheese Lasagna

by Hamburger helper

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Four Cheese Lasagna by Hamburger helper 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
0016000461727
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.5 cup (37 g)

What the Data Says About

Four Cheese Lasagna by Hamburger helper 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, Four Cheese Lasagna 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 E 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 Four Cheese Lasagna
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 E OpenFoodFacts

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

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
Corn Starch
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Ricotta Cheese*
11
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
12
Milkfat
13
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
14
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
15
Enriched Flour
16
Iron
17
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
18
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
19
Tomato*
20
Msg
21
Parmesan Cheese*
22
Milk
23
Cheese Cultures
24
Enzymes
25
Paprika
26
Mozzarella Cheese*
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
Blue Cheese*
29
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
30
Organic Basil
31
Monoglycerides
32
Yeast Extract
33
Fennel Seed
34
Cultured Nonfat Milk
35
Onion*
36
Oregano
37
Spice
38
Color
39
Yellow Lakes 5 & 6
40
Yellows 6 & 5
41
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
42
Natural Flavor
43
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
44
Sodium Phosphate
45
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
46
Anticaking Agent
47
Enzyme Modified Blue Cheese
48
Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese

Full Ingredient List

Enriched Pasta (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Corn Starch, Salt, Ricotta Cheese* (Whey, Milkfat, Lactic Acid, Salt), Modified Whey, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Sea Salt, Tomato*, Monosodium Glutamate, Parmesan Cheese* (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Paprika, Mozzarella Cheese* (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Citric Acid, Blue Cheese* (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Basil, Monoglycerides, Yeast Extract, Fennel Seed, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Onion*, Oregano, Spice, Whey, Color (Yellow Lakes 5 & 6, Yellows 6 & 5, Caramel Color), Natural Flavor, Malic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Enzyme Modified Blue Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Enzyme Modified Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes).

Categories

Meals Pasta dishes

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