Whole Italian Sub

by Giant Eagle

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Whole Italian Sub by Giant Eagle receives a safety score of 55/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0030034963286
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Whole Italian Sub by Giant Eagle carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 3 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, Whole Italian Sub 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Whole Italian Sub
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Sub Roll
2
Enriched Wheat Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Malted Barley Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Iron
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
Water
11
Soybean Oil
12
Yeast
13
Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Sugar
14
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
Cultured Wheat Flour
16
Vinegar
17
Monoglycerides
18
Enzymes
19
Deactivated Yeast
20
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
21
Degermed Yellow Corn Meal
22
Fully Cooked Smoked Ham With Water And Smoke Flavoring Added
23
Cured With: Water
24
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
25
Or Less Of Potassium Lactate
26
Smoke Flavoring
27
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
28
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
29
Sodium Lactate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
30
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
31
Sodium Phosphate
32
Nonsmoked Provolone Cheese
33
Pasteurized Milk
34
Cheese Culture
35
Genoa Salami
36
Pork
37
Beef
38
Or Less Of Dextrose
39
Spices
40
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
41
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
42
Garlic Powder
43
BHA
Avoid GRAS
44
BHT
Caution GRAS
45
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
46
Fully Cooked Capicola Coated With Spices And Paprika
47
Cured With Water
48
Or Less Of: Sodium Lactate
49
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
50
Sodium Phosphates
51
Green Leaf Lettuce
52
Pepperoni

Full Ingredient List

SUB ROLL (ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, YEAST, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: SUGAR, SALT, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, VINEGAR, MONOGLYCERIDES, ENZYMES, DEACTIVATED YEAST, ASCORBIC ACID, DEGERMED YELLOW CORN MEAL), FULLY COOKED SMOKED HAM WITH WATER AND SMOKE FLAVORING ADDED (CURED WITH: WATER, DEXTROSE, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF POTASSIUM LACTATE, SMOKE FLAVORING, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM LACTATE, SODIUM NITRITE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE), NONSMOKED PROVOLONE CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), GENOA SALAMI (PORK, BEEF, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF DEXTROSE, WATER, SPICES, SODIUM ASCORBATE, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, GARLIC POWDER, SODIUM NITRITE, BHA, BHT, CITRIC ACID), FULLY COOKED CAPICOLA COATED WITH SPICES AND PAPRIKA (CURED WITH WATER, SALT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SODIUM LACTATE, SUGAR, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE), GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, PEPPERONI

Categories

Sandwiches

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