Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

by Kraft

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Macaroni & Cheese Dinner by Kraft receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0021000026463
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 ONZ (84 g)

What the Data Says About

Macaroni & Cheese Dinner by Kraft carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 2 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, Macaroni & Cheese Dinner 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 Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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 Macaroni Product
2
Wheat Flour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
5
Iron
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Vitamin B1
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Vitamin B2
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Cheese Sauce Mix
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
Modified Food Starch
14
Milkfat
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Milk Protein Concentrate
17
Monterey Jack Cheese
18
Milk
19
Cheese Culture
20
Enzymes
21
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
22
Blue Cheese
23
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
24
Cheddar Cheese
25
Buttermilk Solids
26
Medium Chain Triglycerides
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
Sodium Phosphate
29
Semisoft Cheese
30
Silicon Dioxide As An Anticaking Agent
31
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
32
Calcium Phosphate
33
High Acid Whey
34
Cream
35
Enzyme Modified Butteroil
36
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
37
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
Autolyzed Yeast
39
Butter
40
Torula yeast
Flavoring
Safe
41
Yeast
42
Natural Flavor
43
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
44
Color
45
Turmeric

Full Ingredient List

Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [Iron], Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid); Cheese Sauce Mix (Whey, Modified Food Starch, Milkfat, Salt, Milk Protein Concentrate, Monterey Jack Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Potassium Chloride, Blue Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Contains Less Than 2% Of Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Buttermilk Solids, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Citric Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Semisoft Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Silicon Dioxide As An Anticaking Agent, Lactic Acid, Calcium Phosphate, High Acid Whey, Cream, Enzyme Modified Butteroil, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Autolyzed Yeast, Dried Butter, Torula Yeast, Enzymes, Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Annatto [Color], Cheese Culture, Turmeric [Color]).

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