Shells & cheese bites
Contains 3 flagged ingredients
Shells & cheese bites receives a safety score of 65/100 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.
What the Data Says About
Shells & cheese bites carries a composite safety score of 65/100, 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, Shells & cheese bites 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 | 65/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 3 | 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.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Filling (cooked enriched macaroni product [water, enriched durum wheat semolina (durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate [iron], thiamin mononitrate [vitamin b1], riboflavin [vitamin b2], folic acid)], pasteurized prepared cheese spread [american cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), water, whey, sodium phosphate, whey protein concentrate, milkfat, salt, skim milk, artificial color], cheese sauce [whey, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), modified food starch, butter, buttermilk solids, salt, sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of carrageenan, lactic acid, oleoresin paprika (color), annatto (color), natural flavor, enzyme modified cheese (cheddar cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], disodium phosphate, enzymes, xanthan gum)], applewood smoked bacon - smoke flavoring added [bacon cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite, smoke flavor], starch blend [wheat flour, methylcellulose, sodium alginate, and sodium tripolyphosphate], cheese powder [cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzyme), disodium phosphate, annatto extract (color)], maltodextrin, bacon fat, bacon bits [(cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosephates, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrate), smoke flavor], salt, smoke flavor, hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat proteins, disodium inosinate), breading (bleached wheat flour, water, yellow corn flour, wheat flour, dextrose, salt, modified food starch, whey, soybean oil, yeast, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, soybean flour, milk protein concentrate, paprika extract [color], natural flavor), soybean oil.
Categories
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.
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