Cheese Pizza

by Cheese Balls

20
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Cheese Pizza by Cheese Balls receives a safety score of 20/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 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.

Barcode
0041780351562
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 portion (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Cheese Pizza by Cheese Balls carries a composite safety score of 20/100, 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 4 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, Cheese Pizza 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

Composite safety metrics for Cheese Pizza
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 20/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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

1
Corn Meal
2
Vegetable Oil
3
The Following: Cottonseed Oil
4
Corn Oil
5
Canola Oil
6
Sunflower Oil
7
Safflower Oil
8
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
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
11
Msg
12
Tomato Powder
13
Whey Solids
14
Cheddar Cheese
15
Pasteurized Milk
16
Cheese Culture
17
Enzymes
18
Spices
19
Natural Flavors
20
Honey Powder
21
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
22
Honey
23
Onion Powder
24
Garlic Powder
25
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
26
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
27
Paprika Extract
28
For Color
29
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
32
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
33
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
34
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
35
Lactic Acid Powder
36
Sodium Phosphate

Full Ingredient List

corn meal, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: cottonseed oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and/or safflower oil), sugar, salt, dextrose, monosodium glutamate, tomato powder, whey solids, cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), spices, natural flavors, honey powder (maltodextrin, honey), onion powder, garlic powder, red 40 lake, caramel color, paprika extract (for color), yellow 5, yellow 6, whey, citric acid, disodium guanylate, malic acid, lactic acid powder, sodium phosphate. contains milk made in a peanut and tree nut free facility. find utz on social media @utzsnacks scan here for more food information or call 1-855-850-2065.

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