Beef Shepherd's Pie

by Marie Callender's

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Beef Shepherd's Pie by Marie Callender's receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0021131000325
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 meal (326 g)

What the Data Says About

Beef Shepherd's Pie by Marie Callender's carries a composite safety score of 80/100, 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 2 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, Beef Shepherd's Pie 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 Beef Shepherd's Pie
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Mashed Potatoes
2
Rehydrated Potato Flakes And Granules
3
Water
4
Potatoes
5
Mono - And Diglycerides
6
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
7
Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate
8
BHT
Caution GRAS
9
Sodium Bisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
10
Cream
11
Butter
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Soybean Oil
14
Nonfat Dry Milk
15
Spice
16
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
17
Guar Gum
18
Cooked Seasoned Beef
19
Beef
20
Flavoring
21
Gravy
22
Cooked Beef Crumbles
23
Garlic Juice
24
Burgundy Wine
25
Corn Starch
26
Organic Onions
27
Or Less Of: Beef Flavor
28
Cooked Beef
29
Yeast Extract
30
Beef Tallow
31
Beef Extract
32
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
33
Vegetable Juice Concentrates {Onion
34
Carrot
35
Celery}
36
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
37
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
38
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
39
Chardonnay Wine
40
Canola Oil
41
Methylcellulose
42
Olive Oil
43
Carrots
44
Corn

Full Ingredient List

Mashed potatoes (rehydrated potato flakes and granules [water, potatoes, mono - and diglycerides, citric acid, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, bht, sodium bisulfite], water, cream, butter [cream, salt], soybean oil, nonfat dry milk, salt, spice, xanthan gum, guar gum), cooked seasoned beef (beef, salt, flavoring, spice), gravy (water, cooked beef crumbles [beef, salt, garlic juice, flavoring], burgundy wine, modified corn starch, onions, contains 2% or less of: beef flavor [cooked beef, yeast extract, beef tallow, beef extract, flavoring, salt, sugar, vegetable juice concentrates {onion, carrot, celery}, lactic acid], salt, garlic, caramel color, chardonnay wine, canola oil, butter (cream, salt), methylcellulose, olive oil), carrots, corn.

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