scalloped potatoes

25
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

scalloped potatoes receives a safety score of 25/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0070552602205
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
28g

What the Data Says About

scalloped potatoes carries a composite safety score of 25/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 3 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, scalloped potatoes 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 scalloped potatoes
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 25/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Potato
2
Corn Starch
3
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
4
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
5
Enriched Flour
6
Wheat Flour
7
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Iron
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
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
13
Cheddar Cheese
14
Milk
15
Cheese Culture
16
Enzymes
17
Onion
18
Potassium Chloride
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
19
Butter
20
Cream
21
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
22
Leavening
23
Baking Soda
24
Natural Flavor
25
Buttermilk Solids
26
Sodium Phosphate
27
Corn Starch
28
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
29
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
30
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
31
Enzyme Modified Cheese
32
Disodium Phosphate
33
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
34
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
35
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
36
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
37
Yellow 6 Lake. Sodium Bisulfite
38
Preservative
39
_wheat_
40
_milk_

Full Ingredient List

DEHYDRATED POTATO, CORN STARCH, MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHEY, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), DEHYDRATED ONION, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, BUTTER(CREAM, SALT), DEHYDRATED GARLIC, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA), NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTERMILK SOLIDS, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5 LAKE, ENZYME MODIFIED CHEESE (CHEDDAR CHEESE [MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES], DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, ENZYMES, XANTHAN GUM), LACTIC ACID, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, YELLOW 6 LAKE. SODIUM BISULFITE (PRESERVATIVE) _WHEAT_, _MILK_

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Potatoes

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