Fettuccine alla carbonara

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Fettuccine alla carbonara receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0025800000685
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PACKAGE (255 g)

What the Data Says About

Fettuccine alla carbonara carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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, Fettuccine alla carbonara 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 Fettuccine alla carbonara
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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
Cooked Enriched Macaroni Product
2
Water
3
Enriched Semolina
4
Durum Wheat Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
7
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Sauce
11
Pasteurized Process White Cheddar Cheese
12
Cheddar Cheese
13
Cultured Milk
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Enzymes
16
Sodium Phosphate
17
Milkfat
18
Parmesan Cheese
19
Cultured Part-skim Milk
20
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
21
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
22
Neufchatel Cheese
23
Milk And Cream
24
Cheese Culture
25
Stabilizers
26
Carob Bean
27
Guar
28
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
29
Half And Half
30
Milk
31
Cream
32
Roasted Garlic
33
Romano Cheese From Cow's Milk
34
Cheese Cultures
35
Egg Yolk
36
Natural Flavor
37
Spices
38
Sodium Phosphates
39
Fully Cooked Applewood Smoked Bacon Pieces
40
Bacon
41
Cured With Water
42
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
43
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
44
Applewood Smoke Flavor. May Contain Sodium Phosphate
45
Natural Smoke Flavor
46
Sodium Erythorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe GRAS
47
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
48
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
49
Peas
50
Dehydrated Parsley

Full Ingredient List

Cooked enriched macaroni product (water, enriched semolina [durum wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), sauce (water, pasteurized process white cheddar cheese [cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, milkfat, salt], parmesan cheese [cultured part-skim milk, salt, enzymes], cornstarch, whey protein concentrate, neufchatel cheese [milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, stabilizers (carob bean, guar, and/or xanthan gum)], half and half [milk, cream], roasted garlic, romano cheese from cow's milk [milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], egg yolk, natural flavor, spices, sodium phosphates, salt, enzymes), fully cooked applewood smoked bacon pieces (bacon [cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite], applewood smoke flavor. may contain sodium phosphate, smoke flavor, sodium erythorbate, sodium ascorbate, dextrose), peas, parsley.

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