Cheddar & bacon sausage

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Cheddar & bacon sausage 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
0028364213058
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PAN FRIED LINK (70 g)

What the Data Says About

Cheddar & bacon sausage 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, Cheddar & bacon sausage 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

Composite safety metrics for Cheddar & bacon sausage
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 E OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Pork
2
Pasteurized Process Cheddar Cheese
3
Cheddar Cheese
4
Cultured Milk
5
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
6
Enzymes
7
Water
8
Cream
9
Sodium Phosphates
10
Vegetable Color
11
Annatto Extract
12
Paprika Extract
13
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
14
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
15
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
16
Less Than 2% Of The Following: Brown Sugar
17
Natural Cheddar Cheese Flavor
18
Pasteurized Milk
19
Culture
20
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
21
Unsalted Butter
22
Pasteurized Cream
23
Natural Flavor
24
Disodium Phosphate
25
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
26
Bacon Flavor {Tapioca Maltodextrin
27
Yeast Extract
28
Bacon Flavor
29
Rendered Bacon Fat And Cooked Bacon
30
Cured With Water
31
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
32
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
33
Natural Smoke Flavor
34
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
35
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
36
Brown Sugar
37
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
38
Natural Flavor
39
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
40
Natural Flavor}
41
Natural Flavors
42
Spices
43
Garlic Powder
44
Onion Powder
45
Grill Flavor
46
From Sunflower Oil

Full Ingredient List

Pork, pasteurized process cheddar cheese [cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), water, cream, sodium phosphates, salt, vegetable color (annatto extract, paprika extract), powdered cellulose, potassium sorbate, natamycin], less than 2% of the following: brown sugar, salt, cheddar cheese flavor [cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, culture, salt, enzymes), whey, salt, unsalted butter (pasteurized cream, natural flavor), disodium phosphate, natural flavor, lactic acid], bacon flavor {tapioca maltodextrin, yeast extract, bacon flavor [rendered bacon fat and cooked bacon (cured with water, salt, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), smoke flavor, sugar, dextrose, brown sugar, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, flavor], salt, sugar, maltodextrin, smoke flavor, flavor}, natural flavors, spices, garlic powder, onion powder, smoke flavor, grill flavor (from sunflower oil).

Categories

Meats and their products Meats Prepared meats Sausages

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