Chicken tortilla soup

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Chicken tortilla soup receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 ingredients 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
0075450151381
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (245 g)

What the Data Says About

Chicken tortilla soup carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 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, Chicken tortilla soup 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 Chicken tortilla soup
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 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
Water
2
Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread
3
American Cheese
4
Pasteurized Milk
5
Cheese Culture
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Enzymes
8
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
9
Sodium Phosphate
10
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
11
Skim Milk
12
Milkfat
13
Artificial Color
14
Chicken
15
Onion
16
Food Starch-modified
17
Cheese Powder Blend
18
Whey Solids
19
Milk Fat
20
Corn Syrup Solids
21
Nonfat Milk
22
Cheese
23
Cultures
24
Disodium Phosphate
25
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
26
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
27
Green Pepper
28
Tomato Paste
29
Cayenne Pepper Sauce
30
Aged Cayenne Peppers
31
Distilled Vinegar
32
Garlic Powder
33
Liquid Shortening
34
High Oleic Canola Oil
35
Soybean Oil
36
Soybean Oil
37
Soybean Lecithin
38
Natural And Artificial Butter Flavor
39
TBHQ
Preservative
Avoid Approved (preservative, 21 CFR 172.185)
40
Beta Carotene
41
Color
42
Vitamin A Palmitate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
43
Jalapeno Peppers
44
Vinegar
45
Flour
46
Bleached Wheat Flour
47
Potassium Bromate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
Avoid Approved
48
Enzyme
49
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
50
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
51
Worcesterhire Sauce
52
Distilled White Vinegar
53
Molasses
54
High-fructose corn syrup
Sweetener
Cut Back
55
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
56
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
57
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
58
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
59
Natural Flavor
60
Anchoves
61
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
62
Soy Flour
63
Garlic Extract
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
64
Yellowcorn Flour
65
Chili Powder
66
Chili Pepper
67
Spices
68
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
69
Ethoxyquin
ANTIOXIDANT
Approved
70
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
71
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
72
Cottonseed
73
Soybean
74
Turmeric Powder
75
Oleoresin Turmeric
76
Chicken Flavor
77
Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten
78
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
79
Chicken Fat
80
Natural Flavors
81
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
82
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
83
Carrot Powder
84
Oleoresin Carrot
85
Onion Powder
86
Yeast Extract

Full Ingredient List

Water, pasteurized process cheese spread (american cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, whey, sodium phosphate, whey protein concentrate, skim milk, salt, milkfat, artificial color), chicken, onion, food starch-modified, cheese powder blend (whey solids, milk fat, whey protein concentrate, salt, corn syrup solids, nonfat milk, cheese [pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes], disodium phosphate, lactic acid, citric acid), green pepper, tomato paste, cayenne pepper sauce (aged cayenne peppers, distilled vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder), liquid shortening (high oleic canola oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, soybean lecithin, natural and artificial butter flavor, tbhq, citric acid, beta carotene [color], vitamin a palmitate), jalapeno peppers (jalapeno peppers, vinegar, salt), flour (bleached wheat flour, potassium bromate, enzyme), sugar, garlic, worcesterhire sauce (distilled white vinegar, water, molasses, high fructose corn syrup, salt, soy sauce [water, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup, caramel color], natural flavor, caramel color, anchoves, polysorbate 80, soy flour, garlic extract), yellowcorn flour, chili powder (chili pepper, salt, spices, silicon dioxide, garlic powder, ethoxyquin), salt, hydrolyzed corn protein (hydrolyzed corn protein, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil [cottonseed, soybean]), turmeric powder (salt, oleoresin turmeric [color]), chicken flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, salt, maltodextrin, chicken fat, sodium phosphate, spices, sugar, natural flavors, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), carrot powder (salt, oleoresin carrot [color], onion powder, yeast extract.

Categories

Meals Soups

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