Extra sharp yellow cheddar pepperoni and crackers

by Cracker barrel

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Extra sharp yellow cheddar pepperoni and crackers by Cracker barrel receives a safety score of 55/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0021000071876
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
70.0g

What the Data Says About

Extra sharp yellow cheddar pepperoni and crackers by Cracker barrel carries a composite safety score of 55/100, 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 3 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, Extra sharp yellow cheddar pepperoni and crackers 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Extra sharp yellow cheddar pepperoni and crackers
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cheddar Cheese
2
Pasteurized Milk
3
Cheese Culture
4
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
5
Enzymes
6
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
7
Color
8
Pepperoni Made With Pork And Chicken - Bha
9
Bht And Citric Acid Added To Help Protect Flavor
10
Pork
11
Mechanically Separated Chicken
12
Or Less Of Pork Stock
13
Spices
14
Including Mustard
15
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
16
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
17
Oleoresin Of Paprika
18
Flavoring
19
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
20
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
21
BHA
Avoid GRAS
22
BHT
Caution GRAS
23
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
24
Crackers
25
Enriched Flour
26
Wheat Flour
27
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
28
Reduced Iron
29
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
30
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
31
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
32
Safflower Oil
33
Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar
34
Brown Rice Syrup
35
Baking Soda
36
Monocalcium Phosphate
37
Ammonium Bicarbonate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
38
Soy Lecithin
39
Milk
40
Wheat
41
Soy

Full Ingredient List

CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO [COLOR]), PEPPERONI MADE WITH PORK AND CHICKEN - BHA, BHT AND CITRIC ACID ADDED TO HELP PROTECT FLAVOR (PORK, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF PORK STOCK, SPICES [INCLUDING MUSTARD], DEXTROSE, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, OLEORESIN OF PAPRIKA, FLAVORING, SODIUM ASCORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, BHA, BHT, CITRIC ACID), CRACKERS (ENRICHED FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], SAFFLOWER OIL, EVAPORATED CANE SUGAR, BROWN RICE SYRUP, SALT, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, AMMONIUM BICARBONATE, SOY LECITHIN, ENZYMES). CONTAINS: MILK, WHEAT, SOY.

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