Avoid

Cheeseburger

Scores 0/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 4 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0074026870022 · Serving size 5

The verdict

Cheeseburger scores 0/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 39 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 4 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.

0/100
Avoid safety score
4
flagged ingredients of 39 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0074026870022
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

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 Cheeseburger

Cheeseburger carries a composite safety score of 0/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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 4 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, Cheeseburger 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Cheeseburger
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 0/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score Not available 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. Cheeseburger scores 95.1 points below that category average (0/100 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
Enriched Pasta
2
Wheat Flour
3
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
4
Iron
5
Thiamin Mononitrate
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folicacid
8
Seasoning
9
Enriched Wheat Flour
10
Reduced Iron
11
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
12
Corn Starch
13
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
16
Corn Syrup Solids
17
Tomato Powder
18
Sodium Phosphate
19
Soybean Oil To Reduce Dusting
20
Onion Powder
21
Coloradded
22
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
23
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
24
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
25
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
26
Maltodextrin Cheddar Cheese*
27
Pasteurized Milk
28
Cheese Culture
29
Enzymes
30
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
31
Garlic Powder
32
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
33
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
34
Mono & Diglycerides
35
Sodium Caseinate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
36
Cream*
37
E150d. *
38
Wheat
39
Soy And Milk. May Contain: Egg. Partially Produced With Genetic Engineering

Full Ingredient List

ENRICHED PASTA (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLICACID), SEASONING (ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR [NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID], CORN STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, HYDROLYZED CORN PROTEIN, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, TOMATO POWDER, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SOYBEAN OIL TO REDUCE DUSTING, ONION POWDER, COLORADDED [YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, YELLOW 6, YELLOW 5], MALTODEXTRIN CHEDDAR CHEESE* [PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), CITRIC ACID, GARLIC POWDER, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, MONO & DIGLYCERIDES, SODIUM CASEINATE, CREAM*). * DEHYDRATED CONTAINS: WHEAT, SOY AND MILK. MAY CONTAIN: EGG. PARTIALLY PRODUCED WITH GENETIC ENGINEERING

Categories

Meals Pasta dishes Instant pasta Microwave meals Instant pasta with cheese

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.