Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar
Scores 100/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with no flagged ingredients identified.
The verdict
Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar by Cracker Barrel scores 100/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 33 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 0 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 33-component record, beginning with Enriched Macaroni Product, Wheat Flour, Glycerol Monostearate. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.
- 100/100
- Safe safety score
- 0
- flagged ingredients of 33 analyzed
- Group 4
- Ultra-processed
- E
- Nutri-Score nutrition grade
Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.
What the Data Says About Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar
Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar by Cracker Barrel carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" on our four-tier shelf-label framework.
Of the 33 ingredients parsed from this label, 13 are covered by a regulator or watchdog we screen against (Sorbic Acid, Whey Protein Concentrate, Ferrous Sulfate and 10 others), with 11 carrying an FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) status and 5 a CSPI Chemical Cuisine rating. The remaining 20 ingredients appear in neither registry, so they neither raise nor lower the score. Each additive rated caution-or-worse penalizes the composite. Product data originates from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative catalog; safety annotations come from federal regulators and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.
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, Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar 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
| 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 | E | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
How It Compares to Its Category
Among the 15,626 products we've scored in the Meals category, the average safety score is 93.6/100. Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Sharp Cheddar scores 6.4 points above that category average (100/100 vs. 93.6/100), so it is a comparatively strong pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Enriched Macaroni Product (Wheat Flour, Glycerol Monostearate, Niacin, Iron [Ferrous Sulfate], Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Cheese Sauce (Whey, Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Color)], Canola Oil, Contains Less Than 2% Of Sodium Phosphate, Salt, Whey Protein Concentrate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Milk, Skim Milk, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid [Preservative], Sodium Alginate, Oleoresin Paprika [Color], Cheese Culture, Annatto Extract [Color], Enzymes), Modified Cornstarch, Maltodextrin, Acetylated Monoglycerides, Salt, Medium Chain Triglycerides.
Other products containing Glycerol Monostearate
Glycerol Monostearate is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 184 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.
Categories
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. 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.
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Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
