Mini Tacos Beef & Cheese

by José Olé

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Mini Tacos Beef & Cheese by José Olé 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.

Barcode
0073202510219
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
5 pieces (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Mini Tacos Beef & Cheese by José Olé 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, Mini Tacos Beef & 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 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 Mini Tacos Beef & Cheese
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 D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Filling: Ground Beef
2
Water
3
Pasteurized Process Cheddar Cheese
4
Cultured Milk
5
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
6
Sodium Phosphate
7
Cream
8
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
9
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
10
Preservative
11
Color Added
12
Carotenal
13
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
14
Enzymes
15
Organic Onions
16
Tomato Paste
17
Beef Base
18
Roasted Beef And Concentrated Beef Stock
19
Hydrolyzed Corn And Wheat Gluten
20
Soy Protein
21
Beef Fat
22
Corn Syrup Solids
23
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
24
Flavorings
25
Yeast Extract
26
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
27
Modified Food Starch
28
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
29
And Disodium Guanylate
30
Green Chiles
31
Dehydrated Chopped Garlic
32
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
33
Soybean Oil
34
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
35
Textured Vegetable Proteins
36
Soy Flour
37
Enriched Wheat Flour
38
Wheat Flour
39
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
40
Reduced Iron
41
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
42
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
43
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
44
Seasoning Blend
45
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
46
Spice
47
Turmeric
48
Methylcellulose
49
Flavor Enhancer
50
Yeast
51
Vinegar
52
Tortilla: Stone Ground Corn Masa Flour
53
With Trace Of Lime
54
Prefried In Vegetable Oil

Full Ingredient List

Filling: ground beef, water, pasteurized process cheddar cheese (cultured milk, water, salt, sodium phosphate, cream, sodium hexametaphosphate, sorbic acid [preservative], color added [carotenal], lactic acid, enzymes), onions, tomato paste, beef base (roasted beef and concentrated beef stock, salt, hydrolyzed corn and wheat gluten and/or soy protein, beef fat, corn syrup solids, sugar, flavorings, yeast extract, caramel color, modified food starch, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate), contains less than 2% of: green chiles, chopped garlic (garlic, water, soybean oil, phosphoric acid), textured vegetable proteins (soy flour, caramel color), enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), seasoning blend (salt, dehydrated garlic, spice, turmeric), modified food starch, methylcellulose, flavor enhancer (yeast, yeast extract), spice, vinegar, tortilla: stone ground corn masa flour (with trace of lime), water, prefried in vegetable oil.

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