Buffalo style chicken & pasta salad

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Buffalo style chicken & pasta salad 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
0036217667002
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
0.75 cup (135 g)

What the Data Says About

Buffalo style chicken & pasta salad 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, Buffalo style chicken & pasta salad 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 Buffalo style chicken & pasta salad
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 C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Enriched Macaroni Product
2
Semolina
3
Wheat
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Chicken Meat
10
Mayonnaise
11
Soybean Oil
12
Water
13
Whole Eggs And Egg Yolks
14
Vinegar
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
17
Lemon Juice
18
From Concentrate
19
Oleoresin Paprika
20
Natural Flavors
21
Calcium Disodium Edta
22
Used To Protect Quality
23
Blue Cheese Dressing
24
Blue Cheese
25
Pasteurized Milk
26
Culture
27
Enzymes
28
Distilled Vinegar
29
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
30
Egg Yolks
31
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
32
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
33
Propylene Glycol Alginate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Approved
34
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
35
Onion
36
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
37
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
38
Molasses
39
Corn Syrup Solids
40
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
41
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
42
Anchovies
43
Tamarind
44
Spices
45
Natural Flavor
46
Hot Sauce
47
Aged Cayenne Red Peppers
48
Garlic Powder
49
Honey
50
Carrots
51
Red Peppers
52
Scallions
53
Seasoning
54
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
55
Cultured Dextrose
56
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
57
Nisin Preparation
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT
GRAS
58
Sodium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
59
Egg White Lysozyme
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ENZYME
Listed
60
Dijon Mustard
61
Mustard Seed
62
White Wine
63
Turmeric
64
Tartaric acid
Preservative
Safe
65
Xanthan And Guar Gum
66
Standardized With Dextrose

Full Ingredient List

Enriched macaroni product (semolina [wheat], niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), chicken meat, mayonnaise (soybean oil, water, whole eggs and egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice [from concentrate], oleoresin paprika, natural flavors, calcium disodium edta [used to protect quality]), blue cheese dressing (soybean oil, water, blue cheese [pasteurized milk, culture, salt, enzymes], distilled vinegar, corn syrup, egg yolks, salt, citric acid, garlic, propylene glycol alginate, xanthan gum, onion, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, molasses, corn syrup solids, caramel color, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, anchovies, tamarind, spices, natural flavor, calcium disodium edta), hot sauce (aged cayenne red peppers, vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder), soybean oil, honey, carrots, water, red peppers, scallions, seasoning (maltodextrin, cultured dextrose, sodium diacetate, nisin preparation [sodium chloride, nisin preparation], egg white lysozyme), salt, dijon mustard (distilled vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, white wine, citric acid, turmeric, tartaric acid, spices), spices, xanthan and guar gum (standardized with dextrose).

Categories

Meals Prepared salads Salads

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