SHREDDED SPICY MEXICAN STYLE BLEND CHEESE ALTERNATIVE

by TRADER JOE'S

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

SHREDDED SPICY MEXICAN STYLE BLEND CHEESE ALTERNATIVE by TRADER JOE'S receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
00743389
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1.0 portion (1.0 oz)

What the Data Says About

SHREDDED SPICY MEXICAN STYLE BLEND CHEESE ALTERNATIVE by TRADER JOE'S carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, SHREDDED SPICY MEXICAN STYLE BLEND CHEESE ALTERNATIVE 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 SHREDDED SPICY MEXICAN STYLE BLEND CHEESE ALTERNATIVE
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Coconut Oil
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Listed
3
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
4
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
5
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
6
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
7
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
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
9
Tricalcium Phosphate
10
Seasoning Blend
11
Spices
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Red Bell Pepper
14
Brown Sugar
15
Tomato Granules
16
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
17
Onion
18
Glucose Syrup
19
Corn
20
Spice Extract
21
Lentil Protein
22
Red Jalapeno Peppers
23
Natural Flavor
24
Olive Extract
25
Ground Cayenne Chili Pepper
26
Cumin
27
Paprika Oleoresin
28
Color
29
Beta Carotene

Full Ingredient List

water, coconut oil, modified tapioca starch, modified potato starch, modified cornstarch, potato starch, sea salt, dextrose, tricalcium phosphate, seasoning blend (spices, salt, dried red bell pepper, brown sugar, tomato granules, dehydrated garlic, dehydrated onion, glucose syrup [corn], spice extract), lentil protein, dried red jalapeno peppers, natural flavor, olive extract, ground cayenne chili pepper, cumin, paprika oleoresin (color), beta carotene (color)

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