Safe

Mac & Cheese Bites

by The Moran Group Incorporated

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0051933345638 · The Moran Group Incorporated · Frozen foods. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0051933345638 · Serving size 3 PIECES (91 g)

The verdict

Mac & Cheese Bites by The Moran Group Incorporated scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 65 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 65-component record, beginning with Bleached Wheat Flour, Elbow Macaroni, Water. 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 65 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.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

60/100

Grade C+

Ingredient Safety

95/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

D

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.

33345638 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Mac & Cheese Bites label screening desk

SCORE-SAFE 95/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 65 ing. REG-PART 32% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-D Nutri-D RANK-SHORT Len top 8% LEAD-FLAG Phosphoric Acid PHOTO-FINISH Mini O's & · ±0 BOOK-OFF …345638 · July 2026

21 of 65 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Phosphoric Acid). Source sheet 33345638 · 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: Mini O's & Meatballs · Nearest score peer is Mini O's & Meatballs 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.

This label falls in the fourth Nutri-Score band. The model arrives there when its penalty terms — energy density, sugars, saturated fat, sodium — carry more weight in the calculation than the fibre, protein and produce content it credits. The band covers a wide span of the points scale, so position within it is not visible from the letter alone. The grade reflects the declared nutrition panel and is unrelated to the additive ratings listed below, which come from different bodies applying different criteria.

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. Mac & Cheese Bites: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Mac & Cheese Bites95/1002. Mini O's & Meatballs: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Mini O's & Meatballs95/1003. Choco Dreamwich: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Choco Dreamwich95/1004. Toasted Onion Gravy & Char-Broiled Patties: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Toasted Onion Gravy & Cha…95/1005. Noodle soup: 95/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Noodle soup95/100
High-band neighbours for Mac & Cheese Bites (95/100) outside The Moran Group Incorporated.
Chart values as text

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

Mac & Cheese Bites
95/100
Mini O's & Meatballs
95/100
Choco Dreamwich
95/100
Toasted Onion Gravy & Char-Broiled Patties
95/100
Noodle soup
95/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 24,982 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 92.9/100. Mac & Cheese Bites scores 2.1 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 92.9/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Frozen foods products

Mac & Cheese Bites lists 65 ingredients on its label

65 92nd percentile a longer ingredient list than 92% of the 7,008 products we track

0–2: 11 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 66 products (1%). Below this entry. 8–10: 102 products (1%). Below this entry. 10–12: 112 products (2%). Below this entry. 12–14: 184 products (3%). Below this entry. 14–16: 205 products (3%). Below this entry. 16–18: 245 products (3%). Below this entry. 18–20: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 20–22: 264 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 298 products (4%). Below this entry. 24–26: 247 products (4%). Below this entry. 26–28: 271 products (4%). Below this entry. 28–30: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 30–32: 294 products (4%). Below this entry. 32–34: 325 products (5%). Below this entry. 34–36: 319 products (5%). Below this entry. 36–38: 314 products (4%). Below this entry. 38–40: 283 products (4%). Below this entry. 40–42: 2,792 products (40%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Frozen foods 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

7,008 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 65 (92nd percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
11 products (0%)
2–4
54 products (1%)
4–6
54 products (1%)
6–8
66 products (1%)
8–10
102 products (1%)
10–12
112 products (2%)
12–14
184 products (3%)
14–16
205 products (3%)
16–18
245 products (3%)
18–20
284 products (4%)
20–22
264 products (4%)
22–24
298 products (4%)
24–26
247 products (4%)
26–28
271 products (4%)
28–30
284 products (4%)
30–32
294 products (4%)
32–34
325 products (5%)
34–36
319 products (5%)
36–38
314 products (4%)
38–40
283 products (4%)
40 and above
2,792 products (40%)

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. The comparison here runs against the 7,008 Frozen foods products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

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 65 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Bleached Wheat Flour
2
Elbow Macaroni
3
Water
4
Enriched Semolina
5
Durum Wheat Semolina
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Pasteurized Process Cheddar Cheese Product
12
Cultured Milk
13
Cream
14
Buttermilk
15
Sodium Phosphate
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Vegetable Color
18
Enzymes
19
Cheddar Cheese Sauce
20
Cheese Whey
21
Palm Oil
22
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
23
Modified Food Starch
24
Cheddar Cheese
25
Milk Cultures
26
Salt And Enzymes
27
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
28
Dried Vinegar
29
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
30
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
31
Natural And Artificial Flavor
32
Mono & Diglycerides
33
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
34
Annatto Color
35
Carotene Color
36
Paprika Color
37
Vegetable Oil
38
Soybean
39
Canola
40
Yellow Corn Flour
41
Wheat Flour
42
White Cheddar Cheese Powder
43
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
44
Cheese
45
Granular And Blue
46
Pasteurized Milk
47
Cheese Culture
48
Sunflower Oil
49
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
50
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
51
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
52
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
53
Natural Flavor
54
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
55
Yeast Extract
56
Yeast
57
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
58
Leavening
59
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
60
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
61
Caramel Coloring
Coloring
Avoid Approved (color additive, GRAS)
62
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
63
Onion
64
Extractives Of Paprika
65
Sodium Alginate

Full Ingredient List

Bleached wheat flour, elbow macaroni (water, enriched semolina [durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), pasteurized process cheddar cheese product (cultured milk, water, cream, buttermilk, sodium phosphate, salt, vegetable color, enzymes), cheddar cheese sauce (cheese whey, water, palm oil, modified tapioca starch, modified food starch, cheddar cheese [milk cultures, salt and enzymes], maltodextrin, sodium phosphate, salt, vinegar, sodium stearoyl lactylate, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, mono & diglycerides, phosphoric acid, annatto color, carotene color, paprika color), vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), modified food starch, yellow corn flour, wheat flour, water, white cheddar cheese powder (whey, cheese [granular and blue (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}] sunflower oil, maltodextrin, salt, sodium phosphate, citric acid, lactic acid}, wheat starch, salt, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sugar, natural flavor, dried whey, yeast extract, yeast, maltodextrin, dextrose, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), caramel color, dried garlic, dried onion, extractives of paprika, sodium alginate, vinegar.

Categories

Frozen foods

High-score cross-brand comparables for Mac & Cheese Bites

Neighbours outside The Moran Group Incorporated with screening scores in the same high band as Mac & Cheese Bites (95/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within The Moran Group Incorporated; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Phosphoric Acid is the first flagged ingredient selected from Mac & Cheese Bites's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 65-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Phosphoric Acid. Open Phosphoric Acid
  • Compare Mac & Cheese Bites'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 0051933345638: 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.