Cup noodles

by Nissin

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Cup noodles by Nissin 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
0070662035023
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
64g

What the Data Says About

Cup noodles by Nissin 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, Cup noodles 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 Cup noodles
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
Enriched Flour
2
Wheat Flour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Reduced Iron
5
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Vegetable Oil
9
Palm Oil
10
Sesame Oil
11
Rice Bran Oil
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
14
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
15
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
16
Chicken Stock
17
Pork Stock
18
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
19
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
20
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
21
Disodium Succinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Listed
22
Dried Carrot Flake
23
Green Onion
24
Shrimp
25
Dry Soy Sauce
26
Wheat
27
Soybeans
28
Egg White
29
Garlic Powder
30
Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten
31
Hydrolyzed Corn Soy And Wheat Protein
32
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
33
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
34
Msg
35
Natural And Artificial Flavor
36
Onion Powder
37
Potassium Carbonate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
38
Bamboo Shoot
39
Shrimp Extract Powder
40
Shrimp Powder
41
Sodium Alginate
42
Sodium Carbonate
ANTIOXIDANT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
43
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
44
Spice
45
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
46
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
47
Preservative

Full Ingredient List

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (palm oil, sesame oil, rice bran oil), salt, contains less than 2% of autolyzed yeast extract, caramel color, citric acid, concentrated chicken stock, concentrated pork stock, dextrose, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, disodium succinate, dried carrot flake, dried green onion, dried shrimp, dry soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), egg white, garlic powder, hydrolyzed corn gluten, hydrolyzed corn soy and wheat protein, lactose, maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, natural and artificial flavor, onion powder, potassium carbonate, powdered bamboo shoot, shrimp extract powder, shrimp powder, sodium alginate, sodium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, spice, sugar, tbhq (preservative).

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Cereals and potatoes Cereals and their products Dried products Pastas Dried products to be rehydrated Noodles Instant noodles

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