Three Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Three Cheese Jalapeno

by Kraft

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Three Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Three Cheese Jalapeno 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
0021000045372
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
2.5 ONZ (70 g)

What the Data Says About

Three Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Three Cheese Jalapeno 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, Three Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Three Cheese Jalapeno 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 Three Cheese Jalapeno Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Three Cheese Jalapeno
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 D 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
Milk
14
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
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Skim Milk
17
Milkfat
18
Part-skim Milk
19
Milk Protein Concentrate
20
Modified Food Starch
21
Spice
22
Jalapeno Peppers
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
Garlic*
25
Buttermilk*
26
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
27
Sodium Phosphate
28
Cellulose Gel
29
Cellulose Gum
30
Onions*
31
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
32
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
33
Calcium Phosphate
34
Cheese Culture
35
Ancho Peppers
36
Tomatoes*
37
Natural Flavor
38
Natural Smoke Flavor
39
Paprika
40
Gum Arabic
41
Yeast Extract
42
Parsley*
43
Corn Syrup Solids
44
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
45
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
46
Vinegar*
47
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
48
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
49
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
50
Enzymes

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, Milk, Maltodextrin, Salt, Skim Milk, Milkfat, Part-Skim Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate, Modified Food Starch, Contains Less Than 2% Of Spice, Jalapeno Peppers, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Garlic*, Buttermilk*, Citric Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Onions*, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Lactic Acid, Calcium Phosphate, Cheese Culture, Ancho Peppers, Tomatoes*, Natural Flavor [Contains Natural Smoke Flavor], Paprika, Gum Arabic, Yeast Extract, Parsley*, Corn Syrup Solids, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Vinegar*, Sugar, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Enzymes).

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