Breaded macaroni and cheese snacks

0
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 5 flagged ingredients

Breaded macaroni and cheese snacks receives a safety score of 0/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 5 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
0028400666343
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 PIECES | ABOUT (81 g)

What the Data Says About

Breaded macaroni and cheese snacks carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 5 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, Breaded macaroni and cheese snacks 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 Breaded macaroni and cheese snacks
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 5 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
Water
2
Enriched Flour
3
Bleached Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Enriched Durum Semolina Wheat Flour
10
Organic Refined Durum Semolina Wheat Flour
11
Soybean Oil
12
Cheddar Cheese
13
Pasteurized Milk
14
Cheese Cultures
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Enzymes
17
Corn Starch
18
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
19
And Less Than 2% Of The Following: Yellow Corn Flour
20
Milk Protein Concentrate
21
Canola Oil
22
Enzyme Modified Cheese
23
Sodium Phosphate
24
Milk Fat
25
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
26
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
27
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
28
Preservative
29
Artificial Color
30
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
34
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
35
Yeast
36
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
37
Onion Powder
38
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
39
Natural And Artificial Flavors
40
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
41
Made From Corn
42
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
43
Medium Chain Triglycerides
44
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
45
Leavening Agents
46
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
47
Baking Soda
48
Monocalcium Phosphate
49
Yeast Extract
50
Garlic Powder
51
Buttermilk Solids
52
Granular Cheese
53
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
54
Enzyme
55
Milk
56
Semi-soft Cheese
57
Cellulose Gum
58
Disodium Phosphate
59
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
60
Soy Lecithin
61
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
62
Butter
63
Cream
64
Msg
65
Rice Flour
66
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
67
Gum Acacia
68
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
69
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
70
Tapioca Dextrin
71
Dextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Safe GRAS
72
Corn Starch
73
Corn Syrup Solids
74
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
75
Reduced Iron
76
And Egg

Full Ingredient List

Water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), bleached wheat flour, enriched durum semolina wheat flour (durum semolina wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), soybean oil, cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), modified corn starch, whey, and less than 2% of the following: yellow corn flour, milk protein concentrate, canola oil, enzyme modified cheese (pasteurized milk, water, sodium phosphate, milk fat, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes), sodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, lactic acid, sorbic acid (preservative), artificial color (yellow 5, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake, red 40 lake), yeast, sugar, onion powder, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, maltodextrin (made from corn), modified potato starch, medium chain triglycerides, dextrose, leavening agents (sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, monocalcium phosphate), yeast extract, garlic powder, buttermilk solids, granular cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey protein concentrate, enzyme, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), semi-soft cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), cellulose gum, disodium phosphate, modified cellulose, soy lecithin, coconut oil, butter (cream, salt), monosodium glutamate, rice flour, sodium diacetate, gum acacia, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, tapioca dextrin, dextrin, corn starch, corn syrup solids, xanthan gum, reduced iron, and egg.

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