Bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 ingredients 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
0052548616137
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CONTAINER (332 g)

What the Data Says About

Bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese carries a composite safety score of 80/100, 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 2 flagged ingredients 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, Bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Five Cheese Macaroni And Cheese
2
Water
3
Noodles
4
Semolina
5
Egg Whites
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Iron
8
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
9
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Whipping Cream
13
Pasteurized Process White Cheddar Cheese
14
Cheddar Cheese
15
Pasteurized Milk
16
Cheese Culture
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Enzymes
19
Sodium Phosphate
20
Milkfat
21
Havarti Cheese
22
Parmesan/romano Cheese
23
Made With Cow's Milk
24
Blend
25
Cheese Cultures
26
Powdered Cellulose To Prevent Caking
27
Dried Cream Cheese
28
Pasteurized Milk And Cream
29
Stabilizers
30
Carob Bean
31
Xanthan
32
Guar Gums
33
Corn Starch
34
Emulsifier
35
Sodium Pyrophosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
36
Soy Lecithin
37
Fully Cooked Beef Crumbles Caramel Color Added
38
Ground Beef
39
Not More Than 20% Fat
40
Seasoning
41
Spice
42
Natural Flavors
43
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
44
Bacon
45
Bacon Cured With: Water
46
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
47
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
48
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
49
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
50
Vegetable Color
51
Potato Starch And Powdered Cellulose
52
To Prevent Caking
53
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
54
A Natural Mold Inhibitor

Full Ingredient List

Five cheese macaroni and cheese (water, noodles (semolina, egg whites, niacin, iron (ferrous sulfate), thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), whipping cream, pasteurized process white cheddar cheese (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, milkfat, salt), havarti cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), parmesan/romano cheese (made with cow's milk) blend (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, powdered cellulose to prevent caking), cream cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, stabilizers (carob bean and/or xanthan and/or guar gums)), modified corn starch, emulsifier (sodium pyrophosphate, sodium phosphate), salt, soy lecithin), fully cooked beef crumbles caramel color added (ground beef (not more than 20% fat), seasoning (salt, spice, natural flavors, caramel color)), bacon (bacon cured with: water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), cheddar cheese (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto (vegetable color)), potato starch and powdered cellulose (to prevent caking), natamycin (a mold inhibitor)).

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