Buffalo chicken mac n' cheese
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Buffalo chicken mac n' cheese receives a safety score of 95/100 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.
What the Data Says About
Buffalo chicken mac n' cheese 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.
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, Buffalo chicken mac n' cheese 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 | 95/100 | FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite |
| Flagged ingredients | 1 | 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
Elbows [100% durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous lactate (iron), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin b1), riboflavin (vitamin b2), folate), water], pasteurized cheddar cheese [(pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), water, sodium phosphate, milkfat, salt, apocarotenal (color), american cheese (cultured pasteurized milk and skim milk, buttermilk, milk fat, salt, sodium phosphate, milk protein concentrate, acetic acid, lactic acid, enymes), light cream, cream cheese (pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, carob bean gum), modified corn starch, contains 2% or less of: butter (cream, salt), salt, natural cheddar cheese flavor (maltodextrin, whey solids, natural cheese flavor, salt, yeast extract), onion powder, spices, yeast extract, nisin preparation and annatto], diced chicken breast, buffalo sauce (distilled vinegar, aged cayenne red peppers, salt, water, canola oil, paprika, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural butter type flavor and garlic powder), ranch dressing (sour dressing (water, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, whey powder, sodium caseinate, nonfat dry milk, food starch modified (corn), lactic and citric acids, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, soy lecithin, potassium sorbate (preservative), sodium citrate, dipotassium phosphate, locust bean gum, sodium carbonate, carrageenan, natural and artificial flavors), cultured buttermilk, mayonnaise (soybean oil, egg yolk, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, spice and calcium disodium edta to protect flavor)), water, sour cream, (cultured pasteurized skim milk, cream, modified food starch, sodium phosphate, locust bean gum, carrageenan), soybean oil, salt, sugar, garlic, onion, xanthan gum, spices and potassium sorbate (preservative), salt, pepper.
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.
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