Cup noodles

by Nissin, Nissin Foods (Usa) Co. Inc.

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Cup noodles by Nissin, Nissin Foods (Usa) Co. Inc. receives a safety score of 85/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 1 ingredient 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
0070662230039
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
64 g (64 g)

What the Data Says About

Cup noodles by Nissin, Nissin Foods (Usa) Co. Inc. carries a composite safety score of 85/100, 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 1 flagged ingredient 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 85/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 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 Wheat 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
Palm Oil
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Dried Carrot Flake
11
Corn
12
Green Pea
13
Msg
14
Chicken
15
Glucose
16
Onion Powder
17
Dry Soy Sauce
18
Wheat
19
Soybean
20
Hydrolyzed Corn And Soy Protein
21
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
22
Spice And Color
23
Garlic Powder
24
Calcium Silicate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
GRAS
25
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
26
Potassium Carbonate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
27
Sodium Carbonate
ANTIOXIDANT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
28
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
29
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
30
Rendered Chicken Fat
31
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
32
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
33
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
34
Natural And Artificial Flavor
35
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
36
Preservative
37
Sodium Alginate
38
Autolyzed Torula Yeast Extract

Full Ingredient List

Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, salt, dried carrot flake, contains less than 2% of dried corn, dried green pea, monosodium glutamate, powdered chicken, glucose, onion powder, dry soy sauce (wheat, soybean, salt), hydrolyzed corn and soy protein, maltodextrin, spice and color, garlic powder, calcium silicate, sugar, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, rendered chicken fat, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, natural and artificial flavor, tbhq (preservative), sodium alginate, autolyzed torula yeast extract.

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