Family size mozzarella sticks in a crispy breading, mozzarella sticks

by Hy-Vee

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Family size mozzarella sticks in a crispy breading, mozzarella sticks 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
0075450229592
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PIECE (37 g)

What the Data Says About

Family size mozzarella sticks in a crispy breading, mozzarella sticks 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, Family size mozzarella sticks in a crispy breading, mozzarella sticks 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 D 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 Family size mozzarella sticks in a crispy breading, mozzarella sticks
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 D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Mozzarella Cheese
2
Cultured Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
3
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
4
Enzymes
5
Bleached Wheat Flour
6
Vegetable Oil
7
Soybean
8
Canola
9
Yellow Corn Flour
10
Water
11
Corn Starch
12
Enriched Wheat Flour
13
Wheat Flour
14
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
15
Reduced Iron
16
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
17
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
18
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
19
Modified Food Starch
20
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
21
Leavening
22
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
23
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
24
Yeast
25
Garlic Powder
26
Dehydrated Parsley
27
Spices
28
Parmesan And Romano Cheese
29
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
30
Cultures
31
Guar Gum
32
Paprika Extract
33
Color
34
Onion Powder
35
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
36
Dehydrated Parsley
37
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
38
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
39
Natural Flavor
40
Nonfat Milk
41
Soy Flour
42
Sodium Alginate
43
Modified Food Starch
44
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
45
Oleoresin Paprika
46
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
47
Extractives Of Paprika
48
Turmeric And Annatto
49
Spice Extractive
50
Egg

Full Ingredient List

Mozzarella cheese (cultured pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, enzymes), bleached wheat flour, vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola), yellow corn flour, water, modified corn starch, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), salt, food starch modified, dried whey, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate), yeast, garlic powder, parsley, spices, parmesan and romano cheese (pasteurized part skim milk, cultures), guar gum, paprika extract (color), onion powder, dextrose, dehydrated parsley, whey, sugar, natural flavor, nonfat milk, soy flour, sodium alginate, modified food starch, lactic acid, oleoresin paprika, caramel color, extractives of paprika, turmeric and annatto, spice extractive, egg.

Categories

Dairies Fermented foods Fermented milk products Cheeses Frozen foods Meat alternatives Breaded products Breaded cheeses Fried foods Mozzarella sticks

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