Avoid

Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper

by MorningStar Farms

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0028989106216 · MorningStar Farms. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0028989106216 · Serving size 15g

The verdict

Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper by MorningStar Farms scores 45/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 38 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 38-component record, beginning with Water, Soybean Oil, Corn Starch. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

45/100
Avoid safety score
3
Few flagged · of 38 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0028989106216
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

33/100

Grade F

Ingredient Safety

45/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

N/A

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

89106216 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper label screening desk

SCORE-AVOID 45/100 FLAG-FEW 3 flagged LEN-DENSE 38 ing. REG-PART 37% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-UNK Nutri n/a RANK-SHORT Len top 8% LEAD-FLAG Carrageenan PHOTO-FINISH Chocolate Muffin · ±0 BOOK-OFF …106216 · July 2026

14 of 38 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Carrageenan). Source sheet 89106216 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Chocolate Muffin · Nearest score peer is Chocolate Muffin at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

The composite for this product falls in the lowest of the four bands. That is where labels land when registry-rated components drive the greater part of the deduction from the index. The band name is drawn from the framework's own scale and is distinct from the ratings the registries themselves assign to individual substances, which are shown per component below. A single heavily rated component and several lightly rated ones can produce the same band, so the component table is the more precise reading of the two.

No Nutri-Score grade is present for this record in the OpenFoodFacts snapshot this page is built from. The nutritional dimension is absent rather than assessed and withheld: the grade depends on a complete declared nutrition panel, and community-contributed records vary in how much of that panel they carry. Nothing about the missing grade implies anything either way about the panel itself. The screen below covers additive ratings only and does not depend on the nutrition figures.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper: 45/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Thick cut vegetarian baco…45/1002. Chocolate Muffin: 45/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Chocolate Muffin45/1003. Ice cream: 45/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Ice cream45/1004. Water Enhancer, Watermelon: 45/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Water Enhancer, Watermelon45/1005. Mixed Berry Zero Sugar: 45/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Mixed Berry Zero Sugar45/100
Nearest cross-brand screening scores for Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper (45/100 on 38 parsed ingredients).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper
45/100
Chocolate Muffin
45/100
Ice cream
45/100
Water Enhancer, Watermelon
45/100
Mixed Berry Zero Sugar
45/100

Ingredient-list length vs every product we publish

Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper lists 38 ingredients on its label

38 92nd percentile a longer ingredient list than 92% of the 359,392 products we track

0–2: 6,050 products (2%). Below this entry. 2–4: 24,522 products (7%). Below this entry. 4–6: 31,054 products (9%). Below this entry. 6–8: 30,981 products (9%). Below this entry. 8–10: 31,618 products (9%). Below this entry. 10–12: 29,943 products (8%). Below this entry. 12–14: 28,403 products (8%). Below this entry. 14–16: 27,417 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 24,508 products (7%). Below this entry. 18–20: 19,062 products (5%). Below this entry. 20–22: 14,679 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 12,238 products (3%). Below this entry. 24–26: 10,830 products (3%). Below this entry. 26–28: 9,344 products (3%). Below this entry. 28–30: 7,955 products (2%). Below this entry. 30–32: 6,753 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 5,918 products (2%). Below this entry. 34–36: 5,282 products (1%). Below this entry. 36–38: 4,531 products (1%). Below this entry. 38–40: 4,063 products (1%). This entry sits in this band. 40–42: 24,241 products (7%). Above this entry. This product 0 42 every published product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

359,392 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 38 (92nd percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
6,050 products (2%)
2–4
24,522 products (7%)
4–6
31,054 products (9%)
6–8
30,981 products (9%)
8–10
31,618 products (9%)
10–12
29,943 products (8%)
12–14
28,403 products (8%)
14–16
27,417 products (8%)
16–18
24,508 products (7%)
18–20
19,062 products (5%)
20–22
14,679 products (4%)
22–24
12,238 products (3%)
24–26
10,830 products (3%)
26–28
9,344 products (3%)
28–30
7,955 products (2%)
30–32
6,753 products (2%)
32–34
5,918 products (2%)
34–36
5,282 products (1%)
36–38
4,531 products (1%)
38–40
4,063 products (1%)
40 and above
24,241 products (7%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. No category with enough published products was available for this record, so the comparison runs against the whole published catalogue.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 45/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (3 flagged of 38 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Water
2
Soybean Oil
3
Corn Starch
4
Egg Whites
5
Soy Flour
6
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
7
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
8
Corn
9
Soy
10
Wheat
11
Vegetable Glycerin
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Soy Protein Isolate
14
Black Pepper
15
Sodium Citrate
16
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
17
Yeast
18
Natural And Artificial Flavors
19
Monocalcium Phosphate
20
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
21
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
22
Guar Gum
23
Yeast Extract
24
Spice
25
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
26
Calcium Lactate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
27
Locust Bean Gum
28
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Sodium Sulfite
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
GRAS
30
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
31
Yellow 8
32
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
33
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
34
Nonfat Milk
35
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
36
Egg
37
Wheat
38
Milk Ingredients

Full Ingredient List

Water, soybean oil, modified corn starch, egg whites, soy flour, wheat gluten, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (corn, soy, and wheat), vegetable glycerin, salt, soy protein isolate, black pepper, sodium citrate, sugar, yeast, natural and artificial flavors, monocalcium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, malic acid, guar gum, yeast extract, spice, lactic acid, calcium lactate, locust bean gum, red 40, sodium sulfite, carrageenan, yellow 8, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, nonfat milk, blue 1. CONTAINS EGG, SOY, WHEAT, AND MILK INGREDIENTS.

Lower-score cross-brand comparables for Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper

Neighbours outside MorningStar Farms in the same lower screening band as Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper (45/100). The 5 same-brand links above stay within MorningStar Farms; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Carrageenan is the first flagged ingredient selected from Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 38-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Carrageenan. Open Carrageenan
  • Compare Thick cut vegetarian bacon strips, applewood black pepper's 3 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0028989106216: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.