Safe

BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ

Scores 95/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0031000113520 · Serving size 4 Meatballs & Sauce (140 g) (140 g)

The verdict

BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 56 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 56 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0031000113520
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.

What the Data Says About BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ

BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

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, BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ 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 BANQUET Family Size Zesty Marinara Sauce Over Meatballs, 25 OZ
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Zesty Marinara Sauce
2
Water
3
Tomato Paste
4
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
5
Corn Starch
6
Soybean Oil
7
Crushed Garlic
8
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
9
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
10
Organic Onions
11
Worcestershire Sauce
12
Vinegar
13
Molasses
14
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Anchovies
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Tamarind Concentrate
18
Organic Cloves
19
Flavorings
20
Chili Pepper Extract
21
Whole Basil
22
Onion
23
Flavoring
24
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
25
Ground Fennel
26
Ammonium Chloride
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
27
Yeast Extract
28
Natural Flavor {Lactic Acid
29
Citric Acid}
30
Meatballs
31
Mechanically Separated Chicken
32
Pork
33
Beef
34
Soy Flour
35
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
36
Soy Protein Concentrate With Less Than 2% Soy Lecithin
37
Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour
38
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
39
Reduced Iron
40
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
41
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
42
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
43
Durum Flour
44
Leavening {Sodium Bicarbonate
45
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate}
46
Yeast
47
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
48
Wheat
49
Soybeans
50
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
51
Ground Nutmeg
52
Spice Extractive With Soybean Oil
53
Mono And Diglycerides
54
Sunflower Lecithin
55
Fish
56
Soy

Full Ingredient List

Zesty Marinara Sauce (Water, Tomato Paste, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, Soybean Oil, Crushed Garlic [Garlic, Citric Acid], Onions, Worcestershire Sauce [Vinegar, Molasses, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Anchovies, Water, Onions, Salt, Garlic, Tamarind Concentrate, Cloves, Natural Flavorings, Chili Pepper Extract], Salt, Whole Basil, Dehydrated Onion, Flavoring [Potassium Chloride, Ground Fennel, Ammonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Yeast Extract, Flavor {Lactic Acid, Citric Acid}]), Meatballs (Mechanically Separated Chicken [Salt, Natural Flavorings, Citric Acid], Pork, Beef, Water, Soy Flour, Caramel Color, Soy Protein Concentrate With Less Than 2% Soy Lecithin, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Durum Flour, Leavening {Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate}, Yeast], Crushed Garlic [Garlic, Citric Acid], Dehydrated Onion, Soy Sauce [Water, Wheat, Soybeans, Salt], Caramel Color, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Salt, Ground Nutmeg, Flavoring [Spice Extractive with Soybean Oil, Mono and Diglycerides, Sunflower Lecithin]).CONTAINS: FISH (ANCHOVIES), SOY, WHEAT.

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.