Zatarain's, creamy cajun style pasta
by Zatarain's
Contains 2 flagged ingredients
Zatarain's, creamy cajun style pasta by Zatarain's 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.
What the Data Says About
Zatarain's, creamy cajun style pasta by Zatarain's 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, Zatarain's, creamy cajun style pasta 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
| 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 | C | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Cooked enriched macaroni product (water, durum wheat semolina [enriched with niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), water, blackened seasoned grilled chicken tenders (chicken tenders, water, blackened seasoning [salt, spices {including red pepper and paprika}, soy protein isolate, modified potato starch, sodium phosphate, corn starch, onion, carrageenan, garlic, extractives of oregano, soy lecithin]), half and half (milk, cream), margarine (liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, vegetable mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, bha & bht added to protect flavor, vitamin a palmitate and vitamin d3 added), sweet dairy whey, cream cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, carob bean gum), cheese flavors (a dehydrated blend of parmesan and romano cheeses [part-skim cow's milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], whey, buttermilk solids, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sodium phosphate, salt), heavy cream sauce (shortening powder [partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate and mono and diglycerides], corn maltodextrin, modified corn starch, dehydrated sweet cream [pasteurized sweet cream, skim milk solids, sodium caseinate, soy lecithin, bht], salt, sugar, garlic powder, lemon juice powder [corn syrup solids, lemon juice, bht], natural butter flavor, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate), green onions, nonfat dry milk, dry buttermilk, modified corn starch, canola oil, corn maltodextrin, paprika, sea salt, yeast extract, parsley flakes, granulated garlic, spices, dextrose, granulated onion, xanthan gum, chili powder (chili pepper, spices, salt, garlic powder), sugar.
Categories
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.
More from
Related
