Tamales with monterey jack, cheddar and cotija cheeses

by Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc.

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Tamales with monterey jack, cheddar and cotija cheeses by Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc. 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
0038794996254
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 TAMALE (142 g)

What the Data Says About

Tamales with monterey jack, cheddar and cotija cheeses by Cedarlane Natural Foods Inc. 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, Tamales with monterey jack, cheddar and cotija cheeses 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 Tamales with monterey jack, cheddar and cotija cheeses
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
Corn
2
Roasted Poblano Peppers
3
Poblano Chile
4
Expeller Pressed Canola Oil
5
Corn Flour Masa
6
White Corn Treated With Lime
7
Water
8
Ground Tomatoes In Light Puree
9
Fresh Vine - Ripened California Tomatoes
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
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
12
Butter
13
Pasteurized Cream
14
Cheddar Cheese
15
Pasteurized Grade A Milk
16
Cheese Cultures
17
Annatto {Color}
18
Enzymes
19
Monterey Jack Cheese
20
Cotija Cheese
21
Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Milk And Skim Milk
22
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
23
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
24
Tomato Paste
25
Organic Onions
26
Anaheim Chile Peppers
27
Green Onions
28
Cilantro
29
Roasted Jalapeno Peppers
30
Jalapeno Peppers
31
Baking Powder
32
Monocalcium Phosphate
33
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
34
Cornstarch {Made From Identity Preserved Non-genetically Modified Corn}
35
Roasted Serrano Peppers
36
Serrano Peppers
37
Garlic Powder
38
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
39
Spice
40
Black Pepper
41
Cayenne Pepper

Full Ingredient List

Corn, roasted poblano peppers (poblano chile, expeller pressed canola oil), corn flour masa (white corn treated with lime), water, ground tomatoes in light puree (fresh vine - ripened california tomatoes, salt, citric acid), butter (pasteurized cream), cheddar cheese (pasteurized grade a milk, cheese cultures, salt, annatto {color}, enzymes), monterey jack cheese (pasteurized grade a milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), cotija cheese (cultured pasteurized grade a milk and skim milk, sea salt, enzymes), organic sugar, tomato paste, onions, anaheim chile peppers, green onions, cilantro, roasted jalapeno peppers (jalapeno peppers, expeller pressed canola oil), baking powder (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch {made from identity preserved non-genetically modified corn}), expeller pressed canola oil, roasted serrano peppers (serrano peppers, expeller pressed canola oil), salt, garlic powder, cornstarch, spice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, citric acid.

Categories

Frozen foods

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