Chef Salad with Turkey and Ham (Water Added)

by Charlie's

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Chef Salad with Turkey and Ham (Water Added) by Charlie's 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
0045009854100
Nutri-Score
b
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CONTAINER (291 g)

What the Data Says About

Chef Salad with Turkey and Ham (Water Added) by Charlie's 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, Chef Salad with Turkey and Ham (Water Added) 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 B 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 Chef Salad with Turkey and Ham (Water Added)
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 B OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Romaine Lettuce
2
Ranch Dressing
3
Soybean Or Canola Oil
4
Buttermilk
5
Cultured Organic Reduced Fat Milk
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Water
8
Eggs
9
Distilled Vinegar
10
Natural Flavor
11
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
12
Cultured Buttermilk
13
Carageenan
14
Onion
15
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
16
Msg
17
Spices
18
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
19
Potassium Sorbate And Sodium Benzoate
20
Preservatives
21
Turkey
22
Turkey Breast
23
Sodium Phosphate
24
Natural Smoke Flavor
25
Cooked Ham - Water Added
26
Ham Cured With Water
27
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
28
Sodium Phosphates
29
Sodium Erythorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe GRAS
30
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
31
Tomatoes
32
Cheddar Cheese
33
Pasteurized Milk
34
Cheese Cultures
35
Enzymes
36
Annatto Color
37
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
38
Corn Starch
39
Cellulose Powder Added To Prevent Caking
40
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
41
A Natural Mold Inhibitor
42
Olives
43
Ferrous Gluconate As A Color Stabilizer
44
Red Peppers

Full Ingredient List

Romaine lettuce, ranch dressing (soybean or canola oil, buttermilk [cultured reduced fat milk, salt], water, eggs, distilled vinegar, salt, natural flavor [whey protein concentrate, cultured buttermilk, natural flavor, carageenan], dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, monosodium glutamate, spices, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate [preservatives]), turkey (turkey breast, water, contains less than 2% of salt, sodium phosphate, natural smoke flavor), cooked ham - water added (ham cured with water, salt, dextrose, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), tomatoes, eggs, cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto color, potato starch, corn starch, cellulose powder added to prevent caking, natamycin [a natural mold inhibitor]), olives (olives, water, salt, ferrous gluconate as a color stabilizer), red peppers.

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