Chimichangas

by El Monterey

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Chimichangas by El Monterey receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0071007185670
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 CHIMICHANGA (142 g)

What the Data Says About

Chimichangas by El Monterey carries a composite safety score of 100/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, 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 Chimichangas
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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
Wheat Flour
2
Enriched With Niacin
3
Reduced Iron
4
Thiamin Mononitrate
5
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
7
Water
8
Cooked Beef Steak
9
With Broth
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Green Chili
12
With Citric Acid
13
Cheddar Cheese
14
Cultured Pasteurized Milk
15
Enzymes
16
Annatto Color
17
Vegetable Oil
18
Soybean
19
Organic Sunflower
20
Canola
21
Corn Oil
22
Monterey Jack Cheese
23
Mozzarella Cheese
24
Pasteurized Milk
25
Cheese Cultures
26
Or Less Modified Corn Starch
27
Tomato
28
With Juice
29
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
30
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
31
Natural Flavor
32
Spices
33
Jalapeno Pepper
34
With Salt
35
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
36
Seasoning
37
Beef Broth
38
Beef Fat
39
Dough Conditioners
40
Yeast
41
Cellulose Gum
42
Guar Gum
43
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
44
Sodium Metabisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
GRAS
45
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Other
Safe
46
L-cysteine
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
47
Mono And Diglycerides
48
Dicalcium Phosphate
49
Microcrystalline Cellulose
50
Chili Pepper

Full Ingredient List

Wheat flour (enriched with niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, cooked beef steak (with broth, salt), water, green chili (with citric acid), cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, annatto color), vegetable oil (soybean, sunflower, canola and/or corn oil), monterey jack cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), mozzarella cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), contains 2% or less modified corn starch, tomato (with juice, calcium chloride, citric acid), flavor, spices, jalapeno pepper (with salt, acetic acid, calcium chloride), seasoning (beef broth, beef fat, flavor, salt), salt, dough conditioners (salt, yeast, cellulose gum, guar gum, wheat starch, enzymes, sodium metabisulfite, sodium stearoyl lactylate, l-cysteine, mono and diglycerides, dicalcium phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose), chili pepper.

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