Mega Meals

by Banquet

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Mega Meals by Banquet receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0031000013134
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
326g

What the Data Says About

Mega Meals by Banquet carries a composite safety score of 80/100, 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 2 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, Mega Meals 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 C 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 Mega Meals
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Patty And Cheese Sauce Cooked Salisbury Steak: Mechanically Parated Chicken
2
Water
3
Pork
4
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
5
Durum Flour
6
Leavening
7
Bicarbonate
8
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
9
Yeast
10
Textured Vegetable Protein
11
Soy Fiber
12
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
13
Soy Protein Concentrate
14
Onion
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Flavorings
17
Potassium Phosphates
18
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
19
Potassium Salt
20
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
21
Cheese Sauce With Bacon
22
Cheddar Cheese
23
Pasteurized Cultured Milk
24
Enzymes
25
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
26
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
27
Soybean Oil
28
Corn Starch
29
Nonfat Dry Milk
30
Bacon
31
Cured With Water
32
Sodium Phosphates
33
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
34
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
35
Cheese Flavor
36
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
37
Milk
38
Cheese Culture
39
Enzyme
40
Sunflower Oil
41
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
42
Sodium Phosphate
43
Blue Cheese
44
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
45
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
46
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
47
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
48
Guar Gum
49
Beta Carotene
50
Mashed Potatoes: Rehydrated Potato Flakes And Granules
51
Potatoes
52
Mono-and Diglycerides
53
Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate
54
Sodium Bisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
55
Margarine
56
Soybean Oil
57
Monoglycerides
58
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
59
Soy Lecithin
60
Medium Chain Triglycerides
61
Calcium Disodium Edta
62
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
63
Vitamin D3
64
Natural Flavor
65
Cream
66
Msg
67
Flavoring
68
Corn: Corn
69
Soy
70
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

Patty and Cheese Sauce Cooked Salisbury Steak: Mechanically Parated Chicken, Water, Pork, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour, Durum Flour, Leavening (Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Yeast), Textured Vegetable Protein (Soy Fiber, Caramel Color, Soy Protein Concentrate, Dried Onion, Salt, Flavorings, Potassium Phosphates, Dextrose, Potassium Salt, Citric Acid), Cheese Sauce with Bacon (Water, Cheddar Cheese, Pasteurized Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto, Modified Whey, Soybean Oil, Modified Corn Starch, Nonfat Dry Milk, Bacon [Cured with Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphates, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite], Cheese Flavor, Whey, Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzyme], Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Sodium Phosphate, Blue Cheese [Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes], Citric Acid, Lactic Acid), Sugar, Potassium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Citric Acid, Sunflower Oil, Beta Carotene, Mashed Potatoes: Rehydrated Potato Flakes and Granules (Water, Potatoes, Mono-and Diglycerides, Citric Acid, Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bisulfite), Margarine (Soybean Oil, Water, Salt, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Monoglycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Soy Lecithin, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Vitamin A Palmitate, Beta Carotene, Vitamin D3, Natural Flavor), Cream, Soybean Oil, Nonfat Dry Milk, Salt, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Flavoring, Corn: Corn, Water, Sugar, Salt. Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.

Categories

Frozen foods Meals Combination Meals Frozen ready-made meals

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