Morning star farms, spicy black beans veggie burger

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Morning star farms, spicy black beans veggie burger receives a safety score of 95/100 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
0028989392077
Nutri-Score
a
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 BURGER (67 g)

What the Data Says About

Morning star farms, spicy black beans veggie burger carries a composite safety score of 95/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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, Morning star farms, spicy black beans veggie burger 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 A 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 Morning star farms, spicy black beans veggie burger
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score A OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Cooked Black Beans
3
Black Beans
4
Cooked Brown Rice
5
Brown Rice
6
Onion
7
Whole Kernel Corn
8
Corn Oil
9
Soy Protein Concentrate
10
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
11
Egg Whites
12
Diced Tomatoes
13
Bulgur Wheat
14
Green Chiles
15
Calcium Caseinate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Approved
16
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
17
Two Percent Or Less Of Onion Powder
18
Spices
19
Tomato Juice
20
Yeast Extract
21
Tomato Powder
22
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
23
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
24
Garlic Powder
25
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
26
Corn Gluten
27
Soy Protein
28
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
29
Soybeans
30
Wheat
31
Natural And Artificial Flavors
32
Paprika
33
Jalapeno Pepper
34
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
35
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
36
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
37
Thiamin Hydrochloride
38
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
39
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS

Full Ingredient List

water, cooked black beans (black beans, water), cooked brown rice (water, brown rice), onion, whole kernel corn, corn oil, soy protein concentrate, wheat gluten, egg whites, diced tomatoes, bulgur wheat, green chiles, calcium caseinate, cornstarch, contains two percent or less of onion powder, spices, tomato juice, yeast extract, tomato powder, dextrose, salt, garlic powder, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (corn gluten, wheat gluten, soy protein), soy sauce (soybeans, wheat, salt), natural and artificial flavors, paprika, jalapeno pepper, citric acid, xanthan gum, disodium inosinate, thiamin hydrochloride, caramel color, lactic acid,

Categories

Meats and their products Frozen foods Meats Frozen meats

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