Ham and cheese pita

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Ham and cheese pita 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
0049022973909
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 SANDWICH (253.9 g)

What the Data Says About

Ham and cheese pita 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, Ham and cheese pita 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 Ham and cheese pita
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 D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Pita Bread
2
Enriched Flour
3
Wheat 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
Malted Barley Flour
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Vegetable Shortening
12
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean
13
Cottonseed Oil
14
Canola Oils
15
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
16
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
17
Corn Starch
18
Monodiglycerides
19
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
20
Potassium Iodate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
Avoid GRAS
21
Enzyme
22
Anozodicarbonamide Yeast
23
Ham
24
Pork Cued With Water
25
Potassium Lactate
FLAVOR ENHANCER
GRAS
26
Sodium Phosphate
27
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
28
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
29
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
30
Cheddar Cheese
31
Pasteurized Milk
32
Cheese Cultures
33
Enzymes
34
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
35
Color
36
Tomato
37
Lettuce
38
Onion

Full Ingredient List

Pita bread (enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, malted barley flour, salt, vegetable shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed oil, canola oils), dextrose, sugar, corn starch, monodiglycerides, ascorbic acid, potassium iodate, enzyme, anozodicarbonamide yeast); ham (pork cued with water, salt, dextrose, potassium lactate, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium diacetate, sodium nitrite); cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, annatto (color)); tomato; lettuce; onion

Categories

Sandwiches

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