Safe

Meatball sub

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0018894904656 · Sandwiches. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0018894904656 · Serving size 1 SUB (298 g)

The verdict

Meatball sub scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 71 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 71-component record, beginning with Pork, Beef, Water. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
One flagged · of 71 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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

60/100

Grade C+

Ingredient Safety

95/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

D

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

94904656 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Meatball sub label screening desk

SCORE-SAFE 95/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 71 ing. REG-PART 31% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-D Nutri-D RANK-SHORT Len top 12% LEAD-FLAG Caramel Coloring PHOTO-SOLO No peers BOOK-OFF …904656 · July 2026

22 of 71 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Caramel Coloring). Source sheet 94904656 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

Within the four-tier shelf-label framework this site publishes, the composite for this product falls in the highest band. That band is defined by a threshold on the derived score alone: it is where labels land once components carrying caution-or-worse registry ratings contribute little or nothing to the deduction. The band is a summary of what the screened registries return for the components that were parsed, so it inherits their coverage gaps — a component absent from both registries neither raises nor lowers the figure. The threshold and the weighting behind it are set out on the methodology page.

This label falls in the fourth Nutri-Score band. The model arrives there when its penalty terms — energy density, sugars, saturated fat, sodium — carry more weight in the calculation than the fibre, protein and produce content it credits. The band covers a wide span of the points scale, so position within it is not visible from the letter alone. The grade reflects the declared nutrition panel and is unrelated to the additive ratings listed below, which come from different bodies applying different criteria.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 1,373 products we've scored in the Sandwiches category, the average safety score is 88.9/100. Meatball sub scores 6.1 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 88.9/100), so it is a comparatively strong pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Sandwiches products

Meatball sub lists 71 ingredients on its label

71 88th percentile a longer ingredient list than 88% of the 1,215 products we track

0–2: 1 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 3 products (0%). Below this entry. 4–6: 4 products (0%). Below this entry. 6–8: 3 products (0%). Below this entry. 8–10: 6 products (0%). Below this entry. 10–12: 4 products (0%). Below this entry. 12–14: 11 products (1%). Below this entry. 14–16: 12 products (1%). Below this entry. 16–18: 22 products (2%). Below this entry. 18–20: 18 products (1%). Below this entry. 20–22: 17 products (1%). Below this entry. 22–24: 15 products (1%). Below this entry. 24–26: 16 products (1%). Below this entry. 26–28: 21 products (2%). Below this entry. 28–30: 32 products (3%). Below this entry. 30–32: 28 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 44 products (4%). Below this entry. 34–36: 26 products (2%). Below this entry. 36–38: 56 products (5%). Below this entry. 38–40: 44 products (4%). Below this entry. 40–42: 832 products (68%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Sandwiches product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

1,215 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 71 (88th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
1 products (0%)
2–4
3 products (0%)
4–6
4 products (0%)
6–8
3 products (0%)
8–10
6 products (0%)
10–12
4 products (0%)
12–14
11 products (1%)
14–16
12 products (1%)
16–18
22 products (2%)
18–20
18 products (1%)
20–22
17 products (1%)
22–24
15 products (1%)
24–26
16 products (1%)
26–28
21 products (2%)
28–30
32 products (3%)
30–32
28 products (2%)
32–34
44 products (4%)
34–36
26 products (2%)
36–38
56 products (5%)
38–40
44 products (4%)
40 and above
832 products (68%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 1,215 Sandwiches products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 95/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (1 flagged of 71 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Pork
2
Beef
3
Water
4
Textured Vegetable Protein Product
5
Soy Protein Concentrate
6
Caramel Coloring
Coloring
Avoid Approved (color additive, GRAS)
7
Zinc Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
10
Cooper Gluconate
11
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
12
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
13
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
14
B1
15
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
16
B6
17
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
B2
19
Cyanocobalamin
20
B12
21
Bread Crumbs
22
Bleached Wheat Flour
23
Yeast
24
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
25
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
26
Seasoning
27
Onion
28
Celery
29
Garlic Powder
30
Spices
31
Soybean Oil
32
Tomato Paste
33
Tomatoes
34
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
35
Romano Cheese Made From Cow's Milk
36
Cultured Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
37
Enzymes
38
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
39
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
40
Parmesan Cheese
41
Set In Vegetable Oil
42
Enriched Wheat Flour
43
Flour
44
Malted Barley Flour
45
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
46
Iron
47
Reduced Iron
48
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
49
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
50
Mono And Diglycerides
51
Sodium Stearoyl Lactate
52
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
53
Organic Basil
54
Calcium Propionate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT
Safe GRAS
55
Black Pepper
56
Rosemary
57
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
58
Inactive Dried Yeast
59
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
60
Vine-ripened Fresh Tomatoes
61
Blend Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Sunflower Oil
62
Oregano
63
Granulated Garlic And Naturally Derived Citric Acid
64
Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella
65
Cultured Pasteurized Part Skim Milk
66
Cultures
67
Provolone Cheese
68
Cultured Pasteurized Milk
69
Anti Caking Agent
70
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
71
Mold Inhibitor

Full Ingredient List

Meatballs: pork, beef, water, textured vegetable protein product (soy protein concentrate, caramel color, zinc oxide, niacinamide, ferrous sulfate, cooper gluconate, vitamin a palmitate, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate (b1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (b6), riboflavin (b2), cyanocobalamin (b12)], bread crumbs (bleached wheat flour, yeast, sugar, salt), seasoning (salt, dehydrated onion, dehydrated celery, garlic powder, spices, soybean oil), tomato paste (tomatoes, citric acid), romano cheese made from cow's milk [(cultured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, enzymes). powdered cellulose, potassium sorbate], parmesan cheese [(cultured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, enzymes), powdered cellulose), set in vegetable oil; pesto roll: enriched wheat flour(flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron(ferrous sulfate, reduced iron), thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, yeast, salt, sugar, wheat gluten, mono and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactate, garlic, basil, calcium propionate, black pepper, rosemary, calcium sulfate, inactive dried yeast, ascorbic acid; tomato sauce: vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, blend of extra virgin olive oil and sunflower oil, salt, oregano, black pepper, granulated garlic and naturally derived citric acid; mozzarella/provolone blend: low moisture part skim mozzarella(cultured pasteurized part skim milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), and provolone cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), powdered cellulose(anti caking agent) and natamycin (mold inhibitor).

Other products containing Set In Vegetable Oil

Set In Vegetable Oil is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 3 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.

Categories

Sandwiches

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Caramel Coloring is the first flagged ingredient selected from Meatball sub's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 71-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Caramel Coloring. Open Caramel Coloring
  • Compare Meatball sub's 1 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0018894904656: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.