Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

by Kraft

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Macaroni & Cheese Dinner by Kraft receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0021000039432
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3.6 ONZ (104 g)

What the Data Says About

Macaroni & Cheese Dinner by Kraft carries a composite safety score of 85/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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, 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 85/100 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 Macaroni Product
2
Wheat Flour
3
Glyceryl Monostearate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Iron
7
Thiamin Mononitrate
8
Vitamin B1
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Vitamin B2
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Cheese Soy
13
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
14
From Milk
15
Cheddar Cheese
16
Milk Cheese Culture
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Enzymes
19
Canola Oil
20
Milk Protein Concentrate
21
Sodium Phosphate
22
Sodium Alginate
23
Annatto Extract
24
Color
25
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
26
Sorbic Acid As A Preservative
27
Milkfat
28
Oleoresin Paprika
29
Seasoning Blend
30
Modified Food Starch
31
Bleached Wheat Flour
32
Corn Syrup*
33
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
34
Palm Oil
35
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
36
Whey*
37
Acetylated Monoglycerides
38
Milk*
39
Medium Chain Triglyerides
40
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
41
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
42
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
43
Spice
44
Garlic*
45
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
46
Tomatoes*
47
Organic Onions
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
Cheese Culture
50
Natural Flavor
51
Paprika Extract
52
Yellow 5 Bacon Bits With Added Hickory Smoke Flavor
53
Bacon Sodium Ascorbate
54
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
55
Natural Smoke Flavor

Full Ingredient List

Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Glyceryl Monostearate, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate [Iron], Thiamin Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid); Cheese Soy (Whey [From Milk], Cheddar Cheese [Milk Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Canola Oil, Milk Protein Concentrate, Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Contains Less Than 2% Of Sodium Alginate, Annatto Extract [Color], Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid As A Preservative, Milkfat, Oleoresin Paprika [Color]); Seasoning Blend (Modified Food Starch, Bleached Wheat Flour, Corn Syrup*, Maltodextrin, Palm Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Whey*, Acetylated Monoglycerides, Milk*, Contains Less Than 2% Of Medium Chain Triglyerides , Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Spice, Garlic*, Sodium Phosphate, Sugar, Tomatoes*, *Onions, Citric Acid, Cheese Culture, Natural Flavor, Paprika Extract [Color], Lactic Acid, Yellow 5 Bacon Bits With Added Hickory Smoke Flavor (Bacon Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Nitrite], Smoke Flavor).

Categories

Meals

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