Safe

Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets

by Hot Pockets

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0043695231533 · Hot Pockets. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0043695231533 · Serving size 1 serving (100 g)

The verdict

Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets by Hot Pockets scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 39 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 39-component record, beginning with Water, Enriched Flour, Wheat Flour. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
One flagged · of 39 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0043695231533
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

67/100

Grade B-

Ingredient Safety

95/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

N/A

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

95231533 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets label screening desk

SCORE-SAFE 95/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 39 ing. REG-SPARSE 28% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-UNK Nutri n/a RANK-SHORT Len top 7% LEAD-FLAG Caramel Coloring PHOTO-FINISH The Carolina Nut · ±0 BOOK-OFF …231533 · July 2026

11 of 39 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Caramel Coloring). Source sheet 95231533 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: The Carolina Nut Co., Peanuts, Carolina Bbq · Nearest score peer is The Carolina Nut Co., Peanuts, Carolina Bbq at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

Within the four-tier shelf-label framework this site publishes, the composite for this product falls in the highest band. That band is defined by a threshold on the derived score alone: it is where labels land once components carrying caution-or-worse registry ratings contribute little or nothing to the deduction. The band is a summary of what the screened registries return for the components that were parsed, so it inherits their coverage gaps — a component absent from both registries neither raises nor lowers the figure. The threshold and the weighting behind it are set out on the methodology page.

No Nutri-Score grade is present for this record in the OpenFoodFacts snapshot this page is built from. The nutritional dimension is absent rather than assessed and withheld: the grade depends on a complete declared nutrition panel, and community-contributed records vary in how much of that panel they carry. Nothing about the missing grade implies anything either way about the panel itself. The screen below covers additive ratings only and does not depend on the nutrition figures.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot…95/1002. The Carolina Nut Co., Peanuts, Carolina Bbq: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. The Carolina Nut Co., Pea…95/1003. Philly steak & Cheese: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Philly steak & Cheese95/1004. Philly steak & cheese seasoned crust stuffed sandwiches: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Philly steak & cheese sea…95/1005. Grand Dessert Premium European Dessert: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Grand Dessert Premium Eur…95/100
High-band neighbours for Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets (95/100) outside Hot Pockets.
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets
95/100
The Carolina Nut Co., Peanuts, Carolina Bbq
95/100
Philly steak & Cheese
95/100
Philly steak & cheese seasoned crust stuffed sandwiches
95/100
Grand Dessert Premium European Dessert
95/100

Ingredient-list length vs every product we publish

Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets lists 39 ingredients on its label

39 93rd percentile a longer ingredient list than 93% of the 359,392 products we track

0–2: 6,050 products (2%). Below this entry. 2–4: 24,522 products (7%). Below this entry. 4–6: 31,054 products (9%). Below this entry. 6–8: 30,981 products (9%). Below this entry. 8–10: 31,618 products (9%). Below this entry. 10–12: 29,943 products (8%). Below this entry. 12–14: 28,403 products (8%). Below this entry. 14–16: 27,417 products (8%). Below this entry. 16–18: 24,508 products (7%). Below this entry. 18–20: 19,062 products (5%). Below this entry. 20–22: 14,679 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 12,238 products (3%). Below this entry. 24–26: 10,830 products (3%). Below this entry. 26–28: 9,344 products (3%). Below this entry. 28–30: 7,955 products (2%). Below this entry. 30–32: 6,753 products (2%). Below this entry. 32–34: 5,918 products (2%). Below this entry. 34–36: 5,282 products (1%). Below this entry. 36–38: 4,531 products (1%). Below this entry. 38–40: 4,063 products (1%). This entry sits in this band. 40–42: 24,241 products (7%). Above this entry. This product 0 42 every published product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

359,392 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 39 (93rd percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
6,050 products (2%)
2–4
24,522 products (7%)
4–6
31,054 products (9%)
6–8
30,981 products (9%)
8–10
31,618 products (9%)
10–12
29,943 products (8%)
12–14
28,403 products (8%)
14–16
27,417 products (8%)
16–18
24,508 products (7%)
18–20
19,062 products (5%)
20–22
14,679 products (4%)
22–24
12,238 products (3%)
24–26
10,830 products (3%)
26–28
9,344 products (3%)
28–30
7,955 products (2%)
30–32
6,753 products (2%)
32–34
5,918 products (2%)
34–36
5,282 products (1%)
36–38
4,531 products (1%)
38–40
4,063 products (1%)
40 and above
24,241 products (7%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. No category with enough published products was available for this record, so the comparison runs against the whole published catalogue.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 95/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (1 flagged of 39 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Water
2
Enriched Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Reduced 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
Cooked Seasoned Beef Crumbles
10
Beef
11
Soy Protein Concentrate
12
Seasoning
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Flavoring
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
17
Onion Powder
18
Garlic Powder
19
Spice
20
Caramel Coloring
Coloring
Avoid Approved (color additive, GRAS)
21
Sodium Phosphate
22
Tomato Paste
23
Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese
24
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
25
Cheese Cultures
26
Enzymes
27
Green Peppers
28
Organic Onions
29
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
30
Yeast
31
Soybean Oil
32
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
33
Methylcellulose
34
Baking Soda
35
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
36
Soy Lecithin
37
Paprika Extract
38
Color
39
Annatto Extract

Full Ingredient List

water, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cooked seasoned beef crumbles (beef, water, soy protein concentrate, seasoning [salt, flavoring, sugar, autolyzed yeast extract, onion powder, garlic powder, spice, caramel color], sodium phosphate), tomato paste, reduced fat mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), green peppers, onions, contains 2% or less of: modified cornstarch, sugar, salt, yeast, soybean oil, dextrose, methylcellulose, baking soda, citric acid, spice, soy lecithin, paprika extract (color), annatto extract (color)

Other products containing Cooked Seasoned Beef Crumbles

Cooked Seasoned Beef Crumbles is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 12 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.

High-score cross-brand comparables for Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets

Neighbours outside Hot Pockets with screening scores in the same high band as Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets (95/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Hot Pockets; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Caramel Coloring is the first flagged ingredient selected from Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 39-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Caramel Coloring. Open Caramel Coloring
  • Compare Hickory Ham & Cheddar Hot Pockets's 1 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0043695231533: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.