Beef empanadas
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Beef empanadas 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
Beef empanadas 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, Beef empanadas 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
Dough (enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], water, butter [cream, salt], interesterified soybean oil, salt, sugar, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), filling (ground beef [ground beef, water, textured soy protein], water, diced tomatoes [tomatoes, tomato juice, citric acid, calcium chloride], pasteurized process cheddar cheese [cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), water, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, apocaroteneal (color), cellulose powder], onions, black beans, textured soy protein [soybean flour, caramel color], sweet corn, seasoning blend [yeast extract, dextrose, molasses powder, garlic powder, dried red bell pepper, corn syrup solids, onion powder, potato maltodextrin, citric acid, tomato powder, lemon juice powder, rice flour, toasted sesame oil, spice, natural flavor, mixed tocopherols (contains soy), ascorbic acid], modified food starch, soybean oil, empanada spice mix [spices (including celery seed), paprika, dehydrated garlic, onion powder, salt], salt, beef base [roasted beef and concentrated beef stock, hydrolyzed soy protein, salt, corn syrup solids, onion powder, garlic powder, whey, caramel color, chicken fat], cilantro, spice, methylcellulose, yeast extract, sugar, natural flavor).
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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