Wisconsin Cheese

55
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 3 flagged ingredients

Wisconsin Cheese receives a safety score of 55/100 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
0075450501384
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (245 g)

What the Data Says About

Wisconsin Cheese carries a composite safety score of 55/100, 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 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, Wisconsin 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 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 Wisconsin Cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 55/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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 Processed 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
Nonfat Dry Milk
15
Food Starch-modified
16
Celery
17
Flour
18
Bleached Wheat Flour
19
Potassium Bromate
DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
Avoid Approved
20
Enzyme
21
Parmesan Cheese
22
Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
23
Cheese Cultures
24
Cornstarch And Powdered Cellulose To Prevent Caking
25
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
26
Cheese Powder Blend
27
Whey Solids
28
Corn Syrup Solids
29
Nonfat Milk
30
Cheese
31
Cultures
32
Disodium Phosphate
33
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
34
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
35
Rendered Bacon Fat
36
Green Bell Pepper
37
Bacon
38
Cured With Water
39
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
40
Smoke Flavoring
41
Sodium Phosphates
42
Sodium Erythorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe GRAS
43
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
44
Onion
45
Yeast Extract
46
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
47
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein With Sunflower Oil Added
48
Turmeric Powder
49
Oleoresin Turmeric
50
Color
51
Chicken Fat Flavor
52
Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten
53
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
54
Chicken Fat
55
Spices
56
Natural Flavors
57
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
58
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
59
Carrot Powder
60
Oleoresin Carrot
61
Orange Food Color
62
Yellow #5 And 6
63
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
64
Red #40
65
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
66
Dehydrated Parsley
67
Liquid Smoke
68
Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor
69
Molasses
70
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
71
White Distilled Vinegar
72
Sulfites
Preservative
Certain People Should Avoid

Full Ingredient List

Water, pasteurized processed cheese spread (american cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, whey, sodium phosphate, whey protein concentrate, skim milk, milkfat, artificial color), nonfat dry milk, food starch-modified, celery, flour (bleached wheat flour, potassium bromate, enzyme), parmesan cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, salt, enzymes, cheese cultures, cornstarch and powdered cellulose to prevent caking, potassium sorbate), cheese powder blend (whey solids, milkfat, whey protein concentrate, salt, corn syrup solids, nonfat milk, cheese [pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes], disodium phosphate, lactic acid, citric acid), rendered bacon fat, green bell pepper, bacon (cured with water, salt, sugar, smoke flavoring, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), salt, dehydrated onion, sugar, yeast extract, hydrolyzed corn protein (hydrolyzed corn protein with sunflower oil added), turmeric powder (salt, oleoresin turmeric [color]), chicken fat flavor (hydrolyzed corn gluten, salt, maltodextrin, chicken fat, sodium phosphate, spices, sugar, natural flavors, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), carrot powder (salt, oleoresin carrot [color]), orange food color (yellow #5 and 6, citric acid, sodium benzoate, red #40), garlic, parsley, liquid smoke (water, natural hickory smoke flavor, molasses, caramel color, white distilled vinegar, sulfites).

Categories

Frozen 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