Ground beef and italian sausage in a classic bolognese sauce with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese, ziti bolognese

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Ground beef and italian sausage in a classic bolognese sauce with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese, ziti bolognese 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
0021130100569
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (200 g)

What the Data Says About

Ground beef and italian sausage in a classic bolognese sauce with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese, ziti bolognese 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, Ground beef and italian sausage in a classic bolognese sauce with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese, ziti bolognese 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 C 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 Ground beef and italian sausage in a classic bolognese sauce with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese, ziti bolognese
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 C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Ziti Rigati Pasta
2
Semolina Wheat Flour
3
Enriched With Niacin
4
Iron
5
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Egg White
9
Tomato Sauce
10
Tomatoes
11
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Red Pepper
13
Onion Powder
14
Garlic Powder
15
Spice Extractive
16
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
17
Water
18
Organic Tomato Puree
19
Cooked Beef
20
Beef
21
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
22
Spice
23
Parmesan Cheese
24
Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
25
Cheese Culture
26
Enzymes
27
Mozzarella Cheese
28
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
29
Cheese Cultures
30
Cooked Italian Sausage
31
Pork
32
Spices
33
Corn Syrup Solids
34
Paprika
35
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
36
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
37
Extractives Of Spices Including Paprika
38
Lemon Juice Powder
39
Lemon Juice Solids
40
Lemon Oil
41
BHA
Avoid GRAS
42
BHT
Caution GRAS
43
Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
44
Propyl Gallate
ANTIOXIDANT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Avoid GRAS
45
Onion
46
Mascarpone Cheese
47
Pasteurized Cream
48
Milk Proteins
49
Acidulate
50
Enriched Wheat Flour
51
Bleached Wheat Flour
52
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
53
Reduced Iron
54
Crushed Garlic
55
Antimicrobial Blend
56
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
57
Cultured Dextrose
58
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
59
Sodium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
60
Egg White Lysozyme
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ENZYME
Listed
61
Nisin Preparation
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT
GRAS
62
Tomato Paste
63
Beef Base
64
Dried Beef Stock
65
Yeast Extract
66
Corn Starch
67
Soybean Oil
68
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
69
Preservative
70
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
71
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
72
Organic Basil
73
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
74
Oregano
75
Fennel
76
Crushed Red Pepper

Full Ingredient List

Ziti rigati pasta (semolina wheat flour [enriched with niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], egg white), tomato sauce (tomatoes, sea salt, red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, spice extractive, citric acid), water, tomatoes (tomato puree, citric acid), cooked beef (beef, water, salt, spice), parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), cooked italian sausage (pork, spices, water, salt, corn syrup solids, paprika, garlic, sugar, extractives of spices including paprika, lemon juice powder [corn syrup solids, lemon juice solids, lemon oil], bha, bht, citric acid, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, propyl gallate), onion, mascarpone cheese (pasteurized cream, milk proteins, acidulate), enriched wheat flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), crushed garlic (garlic, citric acid), antimicrobial blend (maltodextrin, cultured dextrose, sodium diacetate, sodium chloride, egg white lysozyme, nisin preparation), tomato paste, beef base (beef stock, yeast extract, salt, garlic powder), modified corn starch, soybean oil, sugar, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium benzoate (preservative), dextrose, basil, xanthan gum, oregano, fennel, crushed red pepper.

Categories

Frozen foods

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