Caesar salad with dressing packet

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Caesar salad with dressing packet receives a safety score of 85/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0045009014702
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CONTAINER (198 g)

What the Data Says About

Caesar salad with dressing packet carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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.

Our scan identified 1 flagged ingredient 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, Caesar salad with dressing packet 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

Composite safety metrics for Caesar salad with dressing packet
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Romaine Lettuce
2
Caesar Dressing
3
Vegetable Oil
4
Soybean
5
Canola Oil
6
Water
7
Corn Vinegar
8
Parmesan Cheese
9
Part Skim Cow's Milk
10
Rennet
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
11
Cultures
12
Calcium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, ENZYME, FIRMING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, FUMIGANT, HUMECTANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING
GRAS
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Natural Flavors {Soy}
16
Anchovy Paste
17
Anchovies
18
Spices
19
Distilled Vinegar
20
Egg Yolks
21
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
22
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
23
Lemon Juice Consistency
24
Extractive Of Rice
25
Onion
26
Lemon
27
Seasoned Croutons
28
Enriched Flour
29
Wheat Flour
30
Barley Malt
31
Niacin Reduced Iron
32
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
33
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
34
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
35
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
36
Cottonseed Oil
37
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
38
Or Less: High Fructose Corn Syrup
39
Dehydrated Parsley
40
Paprika
41
Onion Powder
42
Yeast
43
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
44
Turmeric
45
For Color
46
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
47
To Preserve Freshness
48
Imported Parmesan Cheese
49
Part Skimmed Cow's Milk
50
Cheese Cultures

Full Ingredient List

Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing (vegetable oil [ soybean and/or canola oil], water, corn vinegar, parmesan cheese [part skim cow's milk, rennet, cultures, calcium chloride, salt], salt, sugar, natural flavors {soy}, anchovy paste, [anchovies, salt, water], spices, distilled vinegar, egg yolks, citric acid, dehydrated garlic, lemon juice consistency, extractive of rice, dehydrated onion), lemon, seasoned croutons (enriched flour [wheat flour, barley malt, niacin reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], partially hydrogenated soybean oil and/or cottonseed oil, water, whey, salt, contains 2% or less: high fructose corn syrup, parsley, spices, sugar, paprika, onion powder, yeast, wheat gluten, turmeric [for color], tbhq [to preserve freshness]), imported parmesan cheese (part skimmed cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, rennet)

Categories

Salted-snacks

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