Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes
by Night Hawk
Scores 75/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.
The verdict
Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes by Night Hawk scores 75/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 90 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.
- 75/100
- Caution safety score
- 3
- flagged ingredients of 90 analyzed
- Group 4
- Ultra-processed
- C
- Nutri-Score nutrition grade
Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.
What the Data Says About Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes
Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes by Night Hawk carries a composite safety score of 75/100, 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.
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, Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes 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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PlainFoodSafe Score | 75/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 3 | 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.
How It Compares to Its Category
Among the 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Salisbury steak 'n mashed potatoes scores 18.3 points below that category average (75/100 vs. 93.3/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy [salisbury steak (beef, onions, water, textured vegetable protein (soy flour, caramel coloring (contains sulfites)), dried egg product (whole eggs, corn syrup solids, salt), salt, black pepper, garlic powder), mushroom gravy (water, mushrooms, brown gravy mix (modified corn starch, maltodextrin, salt, hydrolyzed (corn gluten, soy, wheat gluten) proteins, dextrose, beef fat (with tbhq and bht as preservative), caramel color, onion powder, beet powder, natural flavor, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, and less than 55 ppm sulfiting agents), burgundy wine, sauterne wine, onions, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper)], mashed potatoes topped with cheddar cheese and bacon bits [mashed potatoes (water, potato flakes (potatoes, vegetable (palm oil) emulsifier, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bisulfite and citric acid added as preservatives), heavy whipping cream (heavy cream, skim milk, less than 1% each of mono and diglycerides, polysorbate 8o and carrageenan), margarine (liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, vegetable mono and diglycerides (soybean), soy lecithin, sodium benzoate (a preservative), citric acid, natural & artificial flavor, calcium disodium edta added to protect flavor, beta carotene (color), vitamin a palmitate added), butter burst (whey, buttermilk, butter (cream, water, salt), salt, natural flavor, less than 2% silicon dioxide an anti-caking agent), salt), cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto (vegetable color), potato starch and powdered cellulose, (to prevent caking), natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor)), bacon (cured with water, salt, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, may also contain smoke flavoring, sugar, dextrose, brown sugar, sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, flavoring).
Categories
Data Sources
Data as of May 2026. 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
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.