Concern

Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza

by Red Baron

Scores 55/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0072180634733 · Serving size 0.25 pizza (146 g)

The verdict

Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza by Red Baron scores 55/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 59 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

55/100
Concern safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 59 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza

Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza by Red Baron carries a composite safety score of 55/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

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, Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza 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 D 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 Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 19,967 products we've scored in the Meals category, the average safety score is 95.1/100. Classic Crust Pepperoni Pizza scores 40.1 points below that category average (55/100 vs. 95.1/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Tomatoes
2
Water
3
Tomato Paste
4
Enriched Flour
5
Wheat Flour
6
Malted Barley Flour
7
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Reduced 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
Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
13
Part Skim Milk
14
Cheese Cultures
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Enzymes
17
Pepperoni Made With Pork
18
Chicken And Beef
19
Pork
20
Mechanically Separated Chicken
21
Beef
22
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
23
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
24
Flavoring
25
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
26
BHA
Avoid GRAS
27
BHT
Caution GRAS
28
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
29
Spices
30
Paprika
31
Oleoresin Of Paprika
32
Spice Extractives
33
Smoke Flavoring
34
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
35
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
36
Dried Beef Stock
37
Yeast
38
Palm Oil
39
Vegetable Oil
40
Soybean
41
Canola
42
High Oleic Soybean Oil
43
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
44
Modified Food Starch
45
Spice
46
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
47
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
48
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
49
Hydrolyzed Soy And Corn Protein
50
Onion
51
Dough Conditioners
52
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
53
Ammonium Sulfate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
54
L-cysteine Hydrochloride
55
Natural Flavor
56
Soy Lecithin
57
Wheat
58
Milk
59
And Soy No Ingredients Found

Full Ingredient List

TOMATOES (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), LOW MOISTURE PART SKIM MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PART SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), PEPPERONI MADE WITH PORK, CHICKEN AND BEEF (PORK, MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, BEEF, SALT, DEXTROSE, LACTIC ACID STARTER CULTURE, FLAVORING, SODIUM NITRITE, BHA, BHT, CITRIC ACID, SPICES, WATER, PAPRIKA, OLEORESIN OF PAPRIKA, SPICE EXTRACTIVES, SMOKE FLAVORING, SODIUM ASCORBATE, ASCORBIC ACID, BEEF STOCK), WATER, YEAST, PALM OIL, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, CANOLA AND/OR HIGH OLEIC SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SPICE, MALTODEXTRIN, SEA SALT, DRIED GARLIC, HYDROLYZED SOY AND CORN PROTEIN, PAPRIKA, DRIED ONION, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (CONTAINS ONE OR MORE OF WHEAT STARCH, AMMONIUM SULFATE, L-CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE, ENZYMES, ASCORBIC ACID), NATURAL FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN Contains: WHEAT, MILK, AND SOY No ingredients found

Categories

Meals Pizzas pies and quiches Pizzas

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.