Cheesy Shells
Contains 3 flagged ingredients
Cheesy Shells by Hill Country Fare receives a safety score of 35/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 ingredients 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.
What the Data Says About
Cheesy Shells by Hill Country Fare carries a composite safety score of 35/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 3 flagged ingredients 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, Cheesy Shells 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.
Safety Profile at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 35/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 3 | CSPI/FDA review |
| NOVA processing group | Group 4 | OpenFoodFacts |
| Nutri-Score | Not available | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (DURUM FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON [FERROUS SULFATE], THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBIFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHEY, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, ENZYMES MODIFIED CHEDDAR CHEESE AND BUTTER (CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], BUTTER [CREAM, SALT, COLOR (ANNATTO EXTRACT)] CHEESE CULTURE, ENZYMES), CORN STARCH, SALT, PALM OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: BUTTERMILK, BLUE CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SLAT, ENZYMES), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SUGAR, LACTIC ACID, CODIUM PHAOSPHATE, SODIUM CASEINATE, REDUCED-LACTOSE WHEY, COLOR (YELLOW 5, YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW6), CITRIC ACID, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, EMULSIFIER (MONOGLYCERIDES), GUAR GUM, PRESERVATIVES (TBHQ), SODIUM SILICOALUMINATE.
Categories
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.
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