Safe

Spaghetti With Meatballs

by Lean Cuisine

Scores 95/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 1 flagged ingredient identified.

Barcode 0072554721830 · Serving size 1 Drumstick (96 g)

The verdict

Spaghetti With Meatballs by Lean Cuisine scores 95/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 55 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

95/100
Safe safety score
1
flagged ingredient of 55 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
E
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 Spaghetti With Meatballs

Spaghetti With Meatballs by Lean Cuisine carries a composite safety score of 95/100, 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. 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 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, Spaghetti With Meatballs 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 E 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 Spaghetti With Meatballs
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 1 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

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

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 25,915 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 93.3/100. Spaghetti With Meatballs scores 1.7 points above that category average (95/100 vs. 93.3/100), so it is roughly typical for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cooked Pasta
2
Water
3
Semolina Wheat Flour
4
Cooked Beef And Pork
5
Tomatoes
6
Tomato Paste
7
Tomato Juice
8
2% Or Less Of Modified Cornstarch
9
Organic Rolled Oats
10
Textured Soy Flour
11
Bleached Wheat Flour
12
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
13
Organic Onions
14
Spices
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Soybean Oil
17
Natural Beef Flavor
18
Seasoning
19
Including Hydrolyzed Beef Protein
20
Tapioca Dextrin
21
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
22
Palm Oil
23
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
24
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
25
Arabic Gum
26
Parmesan Cheese
27
Cultured Milk
28
Enzymes
29
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
30
Flavoring
31
Beef Fat
32
Barley Extractive
33
Beef Extract
34
Calcium Lactate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
35
Corn Syrup Solids
36
Disodium Phosphate
37
Grill Flavor
38
From Canola Oil
39
Sunflower Oil
40
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
41
Potassium Salt
42
Sesame Oil
43
Succinic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, PH CONTROL AGENT
GRAS
44
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
45
Soybean
46
Wheat
47
Egg Whites
48
Garlic Powder
49
Dried Beef Stock
50
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
51
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
52
Egg
53
Milk
54
Sesame
55
Soy

Full Ingredient List

COOKED PASTA (WATER, SEMOLINA WHEAT FLOUR), WATER, COOKED BEEF AND PORK, TOMATOES, TOMATO PASTE, TOMATO JUICE, 2% OR LESS OF MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, ROLLED OATS, TEXTURED SOY FLOUR, BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, DRIED ONIONS, SPICES, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, BEEF FLAVOR (SALT, SEASONING (INCLUDING HYDROLYZED BEEF PROTEIN), TAPIOCA DEXTRIN, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, PALM OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, CITRIC ACID, ARABIC GUM), PARMESAN CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES), SEASONING (MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, FLAVORING, BEEF FAT, BARLEY EXTRACTIVE, BEEF EXTRACT, CALCIUM LACTATE, CITRIC ACID, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, GRILL FLAVOR (FROM CANOLA OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL], LACTIC ACID, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, POTASSIUM SALT, SESAME OIL, SUCCINIC ACID, SUGAR, SUNFLOWER OIL), DRIED SOY SAUCE (SOYBEAN, WHEAT, SALT), DRIED EGG WHITES, GARLIC POWDER, BEEF STOCK, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, CARAMEL COLOR, CITRIC ACID, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, POTASSIUM SALT, CONTAINS: EGG, WHEAT, MILK, SESAME, SOY

Categories

Meals Frozen foods Combination Meals Frozen ready-made meals

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.