Hormel, compleats, macaroni & cheese

by Hormel

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Hormel, compleats, macaroni & cheese by Hormel receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0037600668811
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 tray (213 g)

What the Data Says About

Hormel, compleats, macaroni & cheese by Hormel carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Hormel, compleats, macaroni & cheese 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, macaroni & cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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
Water
2
Enriched Macaroni
3
Semolina
4
Wheat
5
Egg Whites
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Iron
9
Thiamin Mononitrate
10
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Pasteurized Process Swiss And American Cheese
13
Cultured Milk And Skim Milk
14
Cream
15
Sodium Phosphate
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
18
Preservative
19
Enzymes
20
Pasteurized Process American Cheese
21
Milk
22
Cheese Cultures
23
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
24
Vitamin D3
25
Or Less Of Canola Oil
26
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
27
Erythorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
28
Parmesan Cheese
29
Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
30
Powdered Cellulose To Prevent Caking
31
Sorbic Acid To Protect Flavor
32
Dried Cream Cheese
33
Pasteurized Milk And Cream
34
Carob Bean Gum
35
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
36
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
37
Yeast Extract
38
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
39
Soy Protein Concentrate
40
Onion Powder
41
Rice Flour
42
Carotene Color
43
Carotene
44
Sucrose Esters
45
Ascorbyl Palmitate
ANTIOXIDANT
Safe GRAS
46
And Dl Alpha Tocopherol
47
Annatto Color

Full Ingredient List

Water, enriched macaroni (semolina [wheat], water, egg whites, niacin, ferrous sulfate [iron], thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), pasteurized process swiss and american cheese (cultured milk and skim milk, cream, sodium phosphate, salt, sorbic acid [preservative], enzymes), pasteurized process american cheese (milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes, water, sodium phosphate, cream, salt, lactic acid), milk (contains vitamin d3), contains 2% or less of canola oil, modified cornstarch (contains erythorbic acid), parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, powdered cellulose to prevent caking, sorbic acid to protect flavor), cream cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese cultures, salt, carob bean gum), potato starch, potassium chloride, yeast extract (contains maltodextrin), soy protein concentrate, onion powder, rice flour, carotene color (carotene, sucrose esters, ascorbyl palmitate, and dl alpha tocopherol), annatto color

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