Concern

Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza

by Hot Pockets

Scores 55/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0043695056310 · Serving size 2 sandwich (255 g)

The verdict

Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza by Hot Pockets scores 55/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 58 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.

55/100
Concern safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 58 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
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 Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza

Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza by Hot Pockets carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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, Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen 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. The Nutri-Score grade of D 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 Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D 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. Nestle premium pepperoni crispy crust frozen pizza scores 38.3 points below that category average (55/100 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

1
Enriched Flour
2
Wheat Flour
3
Malted Barley Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Iron
6
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Water
10
Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese
11
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
12
Nonfat Milk
13
Modified Food Starch*
14
Cultures
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Enzymes
18
Ingredients Not In Regular Mozzarella Cheese
19
Pepperoni
20
Pork
21
Beef
22
Or Less Of Water
23
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
24
Spices
25
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
26
Oleoresin Of Paprika
27
Garlic Powder
28
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
29
BHA
Avoid GRAS
30
BHT
Caution GRAS
31
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
32
To Protect Flavor
33
Tomato Paste
34
Palm Oil
35
Margarine
36
Soybean Oil
37
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
38
Mono & Diglycerides
39
Soybean Lecithin
40
Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid
41
Preservatives
42
Annatto And Turmeric Color
43
Vitamin A Palmitate Added
44
2% Or Less Of Whey
45
Fractionated Palm Oil
46
Modified Food Starch
47
Yeast
48
Dough Conditioner Blend
49
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
50
L-cysteine Hydrochloride
51
Tricalcium Phosphate
52
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
53
Organic Onions
54
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
55
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
56
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
57
Soy Flour
58
Egg Whites

Full Ingredient List

Enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, reduced fat mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, nonfat milk, modified food starch*, cultures, salt, vitamin a palmitate, enzymes, *ingredients not in regular mozzarella cheese), pepperoni (pork, beef, salt, contains 2% or less of water, dextrose, spices, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, garlic powder, sodium nitrite, bha, bht, citric acid [to protect flavor]), tomato paste, palm oil, margarine (palm oil, water, soybean oil, sugar, mono & diglycerides, soybean lecithin, potassium sorbate and citric acid [preservatives], annatto and turmeric color, vitamin a palmitate added), 2% or less of whey, soybean oil, fractionated palm oil, modified food starch, yeast, dough conditioner blend (calcium sulfate, salt, l-cysteine hydrochloride, garlic powder, tricalcium phosphate, enzymes), salt, dried garlic, sugar, spices, dried onions, sodium stearoyl lactylate, maltodextrin, potassium chloride, citric acid, soy flour, egg whites.

Categories

Frozen foods

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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

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.