Chicken & cheese chimichangas

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Chicken & cheese chimichangas receives a safety score of 50/100 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
0070496075417
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CHIMICHANGA (113 g)

What the Data Says About

Chicken & cheese chimichangas carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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, Chicken & cheese chimichangas 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 C 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 Chicken & cheese chimichangas
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Tortilla: Bleached Wheat Flour Enriched
2
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
3
Reduced Iron
4
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
7
Water
8
Soybean Oil
9
Corn Flour
10
Ground Corn
11
Trace Of Lime
12
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
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Baking Powder
15
Corn Starch
16
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
17
Sodium Aluminum Sulfate
18
Monocalcium Phosphate
19
Sodium Metabisulfite. Chicken Fill: Chicken Leg Meat
20
Green Chilies
21
Bell Peppers
22
Modified Food Starch
23
Or Less Of: Tomato Paste
24
Vinegar
25
Chicken Flavor Broth
26
Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten
27
Soy Protein
28
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
29
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
30
Autolized Yeast Extract
31
Chicken Meat
32
Torula yeast
Flavoring
Safe
33
Soy Flour
34
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean And Cottonseed Oil
35
Jalapenos
36
Jalapeno Peppers
37
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
38
Calcium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, ENZYME, FIRMING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, FUMIGANT, HUMECTANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING
GRAS
39
Flavorings
40
Dehydrated Bell Peppers. Cheese Sauce: Water
41
Pasteurized Blended Cheddar Cheese
42
Milk
43
Culture
44
Sodium Citrate
45
Enzymes
46
Apocarotenal
47
Color
48
Cheese Powder
49
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
50
American Cheese
51
Modified Food Starch
52
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
53
Partially Hydrogenated Oil
54
Organic Coconut
55
Soybean
56
Butter
57
Milk Fat
58
Nonfat Milk
59
Buttermilk
60
Di-sodium Phosphate
61
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
62
Mono & Di-glycerides
63
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
64
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
65
Di-potassium Phosphate
66
Natural Flavor
67
Natural And Artificial Colors
68
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
69
Paprika
70
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
71
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
72
Beta Carotene
73
And Carrageenan
74
Or Less Of: Vinegar
75
Dehydrated Onion. Fried In Soybean Oil

Full Ingredient List

Tortilla: bleached wheat flour enriched (niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, corn flour (ground corn, trace of lime), dextrose, salt, baking powder (corn starch, sodium bicarbonate, sodium aluminum sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), sodium metabisulfite. chicken fill: chicken leg meat, water, green chilies, bell peppers, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of: tomato paste, vinegar, chicken flavor broth (hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy protein, wheat gluten, salt, sugar, autolized yeast extract, dried chicken meat, torula yeast, soy flour, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil), jalapenos (jalapeno peppers, salt, acetic acid, water, calcium chloride), flavorings, dehydrated bell peppers. cheese sauce: water, pasteurized blended cheddar cheese (milk, culture, salt, sodium citrate, enzymes, apocarotenal [color]), dehydrated cheese powder (corn syrup, american cheese [milk, culture, salt, enzymes], food starch modified, whey, partially hydrogenated oil [coconut and/or soybean], salt, butter [milk fat], nonfat milk, buttermilk, di-sodium phosphate, sodium caseinate, mono & di-glycerides, citric acid, sodium stearoyl lactylate, sodium citrate, di-potassium phosphate, natural flavor, natural and artificial colors [annatto, paprika, fd&c yellow #5, fd&c yellow #6, beta carotene], and carrageenan), modified food starch, contains 2% or less of: vinegar, dehydrated onion. fried in soybean oil.

Categories

Frozen foods

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