Hy-vee, fire krunch-eze, cheese

by Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Inc.

25
Avoid
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Hy-vee, fire krunch-eze, cheese by Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Inc. receives a safety score of 25/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 3 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
0075450172416
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 ONZ (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Hy-vee, fire krunch-eze, cheese by Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Inc. carries a composite safety score of 25/100, 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.

Our scan identified 3 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, Hy-vee, fire krunch-eze, 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 E 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 Hy-vee, fire krunch-eze, cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 25/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score E OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Corn Meal
2
Vegetable Oil
3
Consisting Of One Or More Of The Following: Corn Cottonseed
4
Canola
5
Palm
6
Sunflower Or Soybean Oil
7
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
9
Spice
10
Onion Powder
11
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
12
Msg
13
Cheddar Cheese
14
Pasteurized Milk
15
Cheese Cultures
16
Enzymes
17
Garlic Powder
18
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
19
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
20
Buttermilk
21
Spice Extract
22
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
23
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
24
Disodium Phosphate
25
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
26
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean
27
Cottonseed Oil
28
Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate
29
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
30
Natural Flavor
31
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
32
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
33
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
34
Anti-caking Agent

Full Ingredient List

Corn meal, vegetable oil (consisting of one or more of the following: corn cottonseed, canola, palm, sunflower or soybean oil), salt, sugar, spice, onion powder, whey, monosodium glutamate, cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), garlic powder, citric acid, red 40 lake, buttermilk, spice extract, sodium diacetate, lactic acid, disodium phosphate, malic acid, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, maltodextrin, natural flavor, yellow 6, yellow 5, contains less than 2%: silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent).

Categories

Snacks

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