Macaroni & Cheese Bites
by Winco Foods
Scores 50/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 2 flagged ingredients identified.
The verdict
Macaroni & Cheese Bites by Winco Foods scores 50/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 95 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 2 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.
- 50/100
- Concern safety score
- 2
- flagged ingredients of 95 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.
What the Data Says About Macaroni & Cheese Bites
Macaroni & Cheese Bites by Winco Foods 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. 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 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, Macaroni & Cheese Bites 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
| 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 | D | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
How It Compares to Its Category
Among the 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Macaroni & Cheese Bites scores 43.3 points below that category average (50/100 vs. 93.3/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Macaroni (water, enriched semolina [durum wheat semolina, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), wheat flour, pasteurized process cheddar cheese (cheddar cheese milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, milkfat, sodium phosphate sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, artificial color), vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), dehydrated potatoes (potatoes, mono & diglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphate and citric acid [to preserve natural color]), enriched bleached wheat flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, cheddar cheese sauce (water, aged cheddar cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes, annatto color], soybean oil, food starch - modified, sodium phosphate, salt, cellulose gum, mono and diglycerides, spice, yeast extract, annatto color), monterey jack cheese sauce (water, monterey jack cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], soybean oil, modified corn starch, nonfat dry milk, salt, sodium phosphate, cheddar cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], yeast extract, sodium citrate, acetic acid, monoglycerides, natural flavors, butter oil, lactic acid, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, annatto color), enriched bleached wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), contains 2% or less of buttermilk powder, cellulose gum, cheese powder (whey, buttermilk solids, granular cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], whey protein concentrate, salt, enzyme modified cheese [cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, milkfat, sorbic acid (as a preservative), enzymes], sodium phosphate, citric acid, yellow 5, yellow 6, lactic acid), cheese sauce mix (dehydrated blend of cheese [semisoft and cheddar cheeses (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes)], food starch-modified, whey, salt, cellulose gum, butter, sodium phosphate, silicon dioxide, lactic acid, citric acid, yellow 5, yellow 6), citric acid, dextrose, dried onion, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), extractives of paprika, annatto, and turmeric (color), food starch-modified, lactic acid, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), natural and artificial cheddar cheese flavor (cheddar cheese [pasteurized milk, maltodextrin, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes, natural and artificial flavor], buttermilk, whey, autolyzed yeast extract, enzyme modified cheddar cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], cultured whey, salt, cream), natural flavor, salt, spice, sugar, turmeric oleoresin (color), whey protein concentrate, yeast, yellow 5, yellow corn flour, yellow 6.
Categories
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.
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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.