Safe

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese

by Kraft

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0021000083985 · Kraft · Meals. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0021000083985 · Serving size 0.333 box (71 g)

The verdict

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese by Kraft scores 100/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 42 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 42-component record, beginning with Enriched Macaroni, Wheat Flour, Niacin. 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
None flagged · of 42 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

63/100

Grade C+

Ingredient Safety

100/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

D

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

00083985 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese label screening desk

SCORE-SAFE 100/100 FLAG-CLEAN 0 flagged LEN-DENSE 42 ing. REG-SPARSE 29% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-D Nutri-D RANK-MID Len top 25% LEAD-RARE Acetic Acid PHOTO-FINISH Spicy bean dip · ±0 BOOK-OFF …083985 · July 2026

12 of 42 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Acetic Acid). Source sheet 00083985 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Spicy bean dip · Nearest score peer is Spicy bean dip at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

Within the four-tier shelf-label framework this site publishes, the composite for this product falls in the highest band. That band is defined by a threshold on the derived score alone: it is where labels land once components carrying caution-or-worse registry ratings contribute little or nothing to the deduction. The band is a summary of what the screened registries return for the components that were parsed, so it inherits their coverage gaps — a component absent from both registries neither raises nor lowers the figure. The threshold and the weighting behind it are set out on the methodology page.

This label falls in the fourth Nutri-Score band. The model arrives there when its penalty terms — energy density, sugars, saturated fat, sodium — carry more weight in the calculation than the fibre, protein and produce content it credits. The band covers a wide span of the points scale, so position within it is not visible from the letter alone. The grade reflects the declared nutrition panel and is unrelated to the additive ratings listed below, which come from different bodies applying different criteria.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Jalapeño Mac & Cheese: 100/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Jalapeño Mac & Cheese100/1002. Spicy bean dip: 100/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Spicy bean dip100/1003. Creamy Crunch-Dip Supreme Cravings Dip: 100/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Creamy Crunch-Dip Supreme…100/1004. Saucy Mexican Style Pizza Dip: 100/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Saucy Mexican Style Pizza…100/1005. Buffalo Style Shells & Cheese: 100/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Buffalo Style Shells & Ch…100/100
High-band neighbours for Jalapeño Mac & Cheese (100/100) outside Kraft.
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese
100/100
Spicy bean dip
100/100
Creamy Crunch-Dip Supreme Cravings Dip
100/100
Saucy Mexican Style Pizza Dip
100/100
Buffalo Style Shells & Cheese
100/100

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. Jalapeño Mac & Cheese 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-list length vs other Meals products

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese lists 42 ingredients on its label

42 75th percentile a longer ingredient list than 75% of the 11,283 products we track

0–2: 12 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 83 products (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 127 products (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 209 products (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 312 products (3%). Below this entry. 10–12: 315 products (3%). Below this entry. 12–14: 412 products (4%). Below this entry. 14–16: 477 products (4%). Below this entry. 16–18: 542 products (5%). Below this entry. 18–20: 552 products (5%). Below this entry. 20–22: 545 products (5%). Below this entry. 22–24: 550 products (5%). Below this entry. 24–26: 552 products (5%). Below this entry. 26–28: 552 products (5%). Below this entry. 28–30: 574 products (5%). Below this entry. 30–32: 517 products (5%). Below this entry. 32–34: 466 products (4%). Below this entry. 34–36: 451 products (4%). Below this entry. 36–38: 443 products (4%). Below this entry. 38–40: 388 products (3%). Below this entry. 40–42: 3,204 products (28%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Meals product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

11,283 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 42 (75th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
12 products (0%)
2–4
83 products (1%)
4–6
127 products (1%)
6–8
209 products (2%)
8–10
312 products (3%)
10–12
315 products (3%)
12–14
412 products (4%)
14–16
477 products (4%)
16–18
542 products (5%)
18–20
552 products (5%)
20–22
545 products (5%)
22–24
550 products (5%)
24–26
552 products (5%)
26–28
552 products (5%)
28–30
574 products (5%)
30–32
517 products (5%)
32–34
466 products (4%)
34–36
451 products (4%)
36–38
443 products (4%)
38–40
388 products (3%)
40 and above
3,204 products (28%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 11,283 Meals products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Enriched Macaroni
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
Seasoned Cheese Sauce Mix
12
Cheese Sauce Mix
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
Milkfat
15
Nonfat Dry Milk
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Milk Protein Concentrate
18
Dry Buttermilk
19
Disodium Phsophate
20
Cheddar Cheese
21
Cultured Pasteurized Milk
22
Enzymes
23
Paprika
24
Turmeric
25
And Annatto Added For Color
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
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
28
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
29
Anti-caking Agent
30
Seasoning Blend
31
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
32
Jalapeno Pepper
33
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
34
Natural Flavors
35
Soybean Oil
36
As A Processing Aid
37
Jalapeno Puree
38
Dried Vinegar
39
Natural Flavor
40
Starter Distillate
41
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
42
Not More Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added To Prevent Caking

Full Ingredient List

ENRICHED MACARONI (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), SEASONED CHEESE SAUCE MIX (CHEESE SAUCE MIX [WHEY, MILKFAT, NONFAT DRY MILK, SALT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, DRY BUTTERMILK, DISODIUM PHSOPHATE, CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED PASTEURIZED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), WITH PAPRIKA, TURMERIC, AND ANNATTO ADDED FOR COLOR, CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, SILICON DIOXIDE (ANTI-CAKING AGENT)], SEASONING BLEND [MALTODEXTRIN, JALAPENO PEPPER, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, NATURAL FLAVORS, SOYBEAN OIL (AS A PROCESSING AID), JALAPENO PUREE (JALAPENO PEPPER, VINEGAR, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR), SALT, STARTER DISTILLATE, ACETIC ACID, NOT MORE THAN 2% SILICON DIOXIDE ADDED TO PREVENT CAKING])

Categories

Meals Pasta dishes Macaroni and cheese

High-score cross-brand comparables for Jalapeño Mac & Cheese

Neighbours outside Kraft with screening scores in the same high band as Jalapeño Mac & Cheese (100/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Kraft; these peers cross brands.

Read the longer label in layers

Read the longer label in layers

Jalapeño Mac & Cheese has a longer ingredient list than 75% of its Meals category comparison set. Use the ingredient table before relying on its single screening score.

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0021000083985: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.