Hormel, compleats, mac & cheese, beefy

by Hormel, Hormel Foods Corporation

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Hormel, compleats, mac & cheese, beefy by Hormel, Hormel Foods Corporation 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
0037600469784
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 TRAY (213 g)

What the Data Says About

Hormel, compleats, mac & cheese, beefy by Hormel, Hormel Foods Corporation 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, Hormel, compleats, mac & cheese, beefy 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 Hormel, compleats, mac & cheese, beefy
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
Macaroni
2
Water
3
Enriched Durum Semolina
4
Wheat
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
Vital Wheat Gluten
11
Egg Whites
12
Glycerol Monostearate
13
Tomatoes
14
Tomato Paste
15
Beef
16
Pasteurized Process American Cheese
17
American Cheese
18
Milk
19
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Cheese Cultures
21
Enzymes
22
Sodium Phosphate
23
Cream
24
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
25
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
26
Or Less Of Sugar
27
Parmesan Cheese
28
Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
29
Powdered Cellulose To Prevent Caking
30
Sorbic Acid To Protect Flavor
31
Textured Vegetable Protein
32
Soy Flour
33
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
34
Flavoring
35
White Vinegar
36
Yeast Extract
37
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
38
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
39
Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
40
Erythorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Macaroni (water, enriched durum semolina [wheat, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], vital wheat gluten, egg whites, glycerol monostearate), tomatoes (water, tomato paste), water, beef, pasteurized process american cheese (american cheese [milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes], water, sodium phosphate, cream, salt, lactic acid), modified cornstarch, contains 2% or less of sugar, parmesan cheese (parmesan cheese [pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], powdered cellulose to prevent caking, sorbic acid to protect flavor), salt, textured vegetable protein (soy flour, caramel color), flavoring, white vinegar, yeast extract, dextrose, citric acid, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, erythorbic acid.

Categories

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