Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan cheese salad kit, caesar salad

by Hy-Vee

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan cheese salad kit, caesar salad by Hy-Vee 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
0075450120509
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
2 cup (100 g)

What the Data Says About

Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan cheese salad kit, caesar salad by Hy-Vee 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, Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan cheese salad kit, caesar salad 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

Composite safety metrics for Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing, croutons & parmesan cheese salad kit, caesar salad
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

1
Romaine Lettuce
2
Caesar Dressing
3
Soybean Oil
4
Water
5
Corn-cider Vinegar
6
Parmesan Cheese
7
Part-skim Milk
8
Cheese Culture
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Enzymes
11
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
12
Egg Yolk
13
Anchovies
14
Mustard Seed
15
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
16
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
17
Lemon Juice Concentrate
18
Msg
19
Spice
20
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
21
Natural Flavors
22
Onion
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
Distilled Vinegar
25
Polysorbate 60
BOILER WATER ADDITIVE, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
26
Sodium Benzoate Added As Preservative
27
Molasses
28
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
29
Tamarind
30
Calcium Disodium Edta Added To Protect Flavor
31
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
32
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
33
Croutons
34
Enriched Wheat Flour
35
Wheat Flour
36
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
37
Reduced Iron
38
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
39
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
40
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
41
Canola Oil
42
Olive Oil
43
Adds A Dietary Insignificant Amount Of Fat
44
Yeast
45
Spices
46
Natural Flavor
47
Milk
48
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
49
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
50
Pasteurized Milk
51
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
52
To Prevent Caking
53
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
54
Preservatives

Full Ingredient List

Romaine lettuce, caesar dressing (soybean oil, water, corn-cider vinegar, parmesan cheese [part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], salt, sugar, egg yolk, anchovies, mustard seed, citric acid, dehydrated garlic, lemon juice concentrate, monosodium glutamate, spice, xanthan gum, natural flavors, dehydrated onion, maltodextrin, distilled vinegar, polysorbate 60, sodium benzoate added as preservative, molasses, caramel color, tamarind, calcium disodium edta added to protect flavor, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), croutons (enriched wheat flour [wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid], canola oil and/or olive oil [adds a dietary insignificant amount of fat], salt, sugar, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, yeast, spices, natural flavor [contains milk], dextrose, ascorbic acid), parmesan cheese (pasteurized milk, salt, cheese culture, powdered cellulose [to prevent caking], enzymes, sorbic acid [preservatives]).

Categories

Plant-based foods and beverages Plant-based foods Fruits and vegetables based 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