Safe

CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE

by Trader Joe's

Scores 100/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with no flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 00650625

The verdict

CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE by Trader Joe's scores 100/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 28 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 0 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

100/100
Safe safety score
0
flagged ingredients of 28 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
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.

What the Data Says About CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE

CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE by Trader Joe's carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE 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 E 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 CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

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

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 93,264 products we've scored in the Plant-based foods and beverages category, the average safety score is 98.1/100. CHEDDAR STYLE SLICES CASHEW CHEESE ALTERNATIVE scores 1.9 points above that category average (100/100 vs. 98.1/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Organic Cashew Base
2
Water
3
Cashews
4
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
5
Modified Food Starch
6
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
7
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
8
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
9
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Natural Flavors
11
Nutritional Yeast
12
Yeast
13
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
14
Vitamin B3
15
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
16
Vitamin B6
17
Thiamine Hydrochloride
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
Vitamin B1
19
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
20
Vitamin B2
21
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
22
Vitamin B12
23
Natural Flavor
24
Annatto Extract
25
For Color
26
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
27
Yeast Extract
28
Cultures

Full Ingredient List

CASHEW BASE (WATER, CASHEWS), COCONUT OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH (MODIFIED POTATO STARCH, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH), POTATO STARCH, SEA SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS, NUTRITIONAL YEAST (DRIED YEAST, NIACIN [VITAMIN B3], PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B6], THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12), NATURAL FLAVOR, ANNATTO EXTRACT (FOR COLOR), LACTIC ACID, YEAST EXTRACT, CULTURES.

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.