Crunchy cheese flavored hot crunchies corn snacks, crunchy cheese

75
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Crunchy cheese flavored hot crunchies corn snacks, crunchy cheese receives a safety score of 75/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0021130295838
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 ONZ (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Crunchy cheese flavored hot crunchies corn snacks, crunchy cheese carries a composite safety score of 75/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 1 flagged ingredient 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, Crunchy cheese flavored hot crunchies corn snacks, crunchy 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 D 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 Crunchy cheese flavored hot crunchies corn snacks, crunchy cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 75/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cornmeal
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Organic Sunflower
4
Safflower
5
Corn
6
Canola
7
Cottonseed
8
Rice
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Whey Powder
11
Cheddar Cheese Powder
12
Cheddar Cheese
13
Pasteurized Milk
14
Cheese Cultures
15
Enyzmes
16
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
17
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
18
Buttermilk
19
Natural Flavor
20
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
21
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
22
Disodium Phosphate
23
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
24
Torula yeast
Flavoring
Safe
25
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
26
Onion Powder
27
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
28
Garlic Powder
29
Corn Starch
30
Msg
31
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Corn Syrup Solids
33
Spice Extractives
34
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
35
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved

Full Ingredient List

Cornmeal, vegetable oil (sunflower, safflower, corn, canola, cottonseed, and/or rice), salt, whey powder, cheddar cheese powder (cheddar cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enyzmes], whey, maltodextrin, buttermilk, natural flavor, citric acid, lactic acid), disodium phosphate, sugar, torula yeast, dextrose, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy protein, garlic powder, corn starch, monosodium glutamate, red 40 lake, corn syrup solids, spice extractives, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate.

Categories

Snacks

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