Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac Cheese Sauce with Pasta & Seasonings

by Velveeta

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac Cheese Sauce with Pasta & Seasonings by Velveeta receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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
0021000034055
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 serving (70 g)

What the Data Says About

Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac Cheese Sauce with Pasta & Seasonings by Velveeta carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 4 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, Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac Cheese Sauce with Pasta & Seasonings 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 Ultimate Cheeseburger Mac Cheese Sauce with Pasta & Seasonings
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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

1
Cheese Sauce
2
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
3
Cheddar Cheese
4
Milk
5
Cheese Culture
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Enzymes
8
Canola Oil
9
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
10
Milk Protein Concentrate
11
Sodium Phosphate
12
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
13
Sodium Alginate
14
Sorbic Acid As A Preservative
15
Milkfat
16
Oleoresin Paprika
17
Color
18
Annatto Extract
19
Natural Flavor
20
Enriched Macaroni Product
21
Wheat Flour
22
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
23
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
24
Iron
25
Thiamin Mononitrate
26
Vitamin B1
27
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Vitamín B2
29
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
30
Seasoning Blend
31
Organic Onions
32
Salt Enzymes
33
Sunflower Oil
34
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
35
Hydrolyzed čOrn Protein
36
Tomatoes
37
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
38
Spices
39
Mustard
40
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
41
Butter
42
Buttermilk
43
Garlic*
44
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
45
Ancho Peppers
46
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
47
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
48
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
49
éNzymes
50
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
51
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
52
Dried 20
53
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

cheese sauce (whey, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], canola oil, whey protein concentrate, milk, milk protein concentrate, sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of salt, lactic acid, sodium alginate, sorbic acid as a preservative, milkfat, oleoresin paprika [color], cheese culture, annatto extract [color], natural flavor, enzymes), enriched macaroni product (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate [iron], thiamin mononitrate [vitamin b1), riboflavin [vitamín b2], folic acid), seasoning blend (onions , whey, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt enzymes), whey protein concentrate, sunflower oil, milk, maltodextrin, salt, hydrolyzed čorn protein, tomatoes, lactose, spices [contains mustard], sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of sodium diacetate, butter, buttermilk, garlic*, yellow 5 lake, lactic acid, ancho peppers, natural flavor, sugar, yellow 6 lake, citric acid, cheese culture, énzymes, yellow 5, yellow 6), *dried 20 contains: wheat, milk,

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Meals Pastas Dry pastas Meal kits

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