Taco dinner kit includes shells, sauce & seasoning mix, taco

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Taco dinner kit includes shells, sauce & seasoning mix, taco receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0036800822856
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 TACO SHELLS, 1/4 SALSA PKG, 1/4 SEASONING PKG (63 g)

What the Data Says About

Taco dinner kit includes shells, sauce & seasoning mix, taco carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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 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, Taco dinner kit includes shells, sauce & seasoning mix, taco 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 E 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 Taco dinner kit includes shells, sauce & seasoning mix, taco
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Taco Shells: Yellow Corn Flour Masa
2
Vegetable Oils
3
Soybean
4
Canola
5
Cottonseed
6
Corn
7
Palm Oleinoil
8
Trace Of Lime
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
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
11
Preservative
12
. Taco Salsa: Water
13
Tomatoes
14
Tomato Paste
15
Distilled Vinegar
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Jalapeno Peppers
18
Onion
19
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
20
Guar Gum And Sodium Alginate
21
Spices
22
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
23
. Taco Seasoning: Maltodextrin
24
Chili Pepper
25
Onion Powder
26
Modified Food Starch
27
Corn Flour
28
Oleoresin Of Paprika
29
Soybean Oil
30
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
31
< 2% Anti-caking Agent
32
Spice
33
Disodium Guanulate With Inosinate And Garlic Powder

Full Ingredient List

Taco shells: yellow corn flour masa, vegetable oils (may contain one or more of the following; soybean, canola, cottonseed, corn, and/or palm oleinoil), trace of lime, citric acid, tbhq (preservative). taco salsa: water, tomatoes, tomato paste, distilled vinegar, salt, contains less than 2% of jalapeno peppers, dehydrated onion, xanthan gum, guar gum and sodium alginate, spices, sodium benzoate (preservative). taco seasoning: maltodextrin, salt, chili pepper, onion powder, modified food starch, corn flour, oleoresin of paprika, soybean oil, silicon dioxide (< 2% anti-caking agent), spice, disodium guanulate with inosinate and garlic powder.

Categories

Mexican-dinner-mixes

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