Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 8.5 Oz, Cheese

by Kraft

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 8.5 Oz, Cheese by Kraft receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0021000069880
Nutri-Score
b
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 Package (241 g) (241 GRM)

What the Data Says About

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 8.5 Oz, Cheese by Kraft carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 8.5 Oz, Cheese 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 B 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 Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, 8.5 Oz, Cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score B OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Macaroni & Cheese Sauce
2
Water
3
Enriched Macaroni Product
4
Wheat Flour
5
Durum Wheat Flour
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Iron
9
Thiamin Mononitrate
10
Vitamin B1
11
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
12
Vitamin B2
13
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
14
Half And Half
15
Milk
16
Cream
17
Cheese Sauce Mix
18
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
19
Milkfat
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Milk Protein Concentrate
22
Sodium Triphosphate
23
Tapioca Flour
24
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
25
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
26
Sodium Phosphate
27
Calcium Phosphate
28
With Paprika
29
Turmeric
30
And Annatto Added For Color
31
Enzymes
32
Cheese Culture
33
Butter
34
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
35
Pasteurized Milk And Cream
36
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
37
Color
38
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
39
Cheese Blend
40
Cheddar
41
Granular
42
Semisoft And Blue Cheese
43
Pasteurized Milk
44
Cheese Cultures
45
Vinegar
46
Flavor Enhancer
47
Milk Solids
48
Nonfat Dry Milk
49
Natural Flavor
50
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
51
Natural Flavor
52
Fully Cooked Glazed Diced White Meat Chicken
53
White Meat Chicken
54
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
55
Corn Oil
56
Honey
57
Broccoli
58
Butter Sauce
59
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
60
Skim Milk Powder

Full Ingredient List

Macaroni & Cheese Sauce (Water, Enriched Macaroni Product [Wheat Flour, Durum Wheat Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate (Iron), Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Half And Half [Milk, Cream], Cheese Sauce Mix [Whey, Milkfat, Salt, Milk Protein Concentrate, Sodium Triphosphate, Tapioca Flour, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, With Paprika, Turmeric, And Annatto Added For Color, Enzymes, Cheese Culture], Butter [Cream, Salt], Sharp Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Milk And Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Color)], Tapioca Starch, Cheese Blend [Cheddar, Granular, Semisoft And Blue Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Water, Sodium Phosphate, Vinegar, Salt], Flavor Enhancer [Milk Solids, Nonfat Dry Milk, Salt, Natural Flavor], Whey Protein Concentrate, Salt, Flavor), Fully Cooked Glazed Diced White Meat Chicken (White Meat Chicken, Water, Sugar, Corn Oil, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Honey), Broccoli, Butter Sauce (Water, Butter [Cream, Salt], Cornstarch, Salt, Milk Solids, Skim Milk Powder, Flavor, Natural Flavor)

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Pastas

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