Cheesy Jalapeño Loaded Nuggets

by Pilgrim's

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Cheesy Jalapeño Loaded Nuggets by Pilgrim's 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
0077013013143
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
3 pieces (90 g)

What the Data Says About

Cheesy Jalapeño Loaded Nuggets by Pilgrim's 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, Cheesy Jalapeño Loaded Nuggets 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Cheesy Jalapeño Loaded Nuggets
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Chicken Breast With Rib Meat
2
Wheat Flour
3
Water
4
Jalapeno Pepper
5
Cheddar Cheese
6
Milk
7
Cheese Culture
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
Enzymes
10
Or Less Of: Salt
11
Rice Flour
12
Natural Flavors
13
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
14
Sodium Phosphates
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Yeast
17
Yellow Corn Flour
18
Chicken Broth
19
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
20
Extractives Of Turmeric
21
Paprika And Annatto
22
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
23
Yeast Extract
24
Jalapeno Powder
25
Modified Food Starch
26
Vinegar Solids
27
Leavening
28
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
29
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
30
Brown Sugar
31
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
32
Corn Syrup Solids
33
Defatted Wheat Germ
34
Molasses Powder
35
Soy Sauce Powder
36
Wheat
37
Soybeans
38
Milkfat

Full Ingredient List

CHICKEN BREAST WITH RIB MEAT, WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, JALAPENO PEPPER, CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, RICE FLOUR, NATURAL FLAVORS, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SUGAR, YEAST, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, CHICKEN BROTH, WHEAT GLUTEN, EXTRACTIVES OF TURMERIC, PAPRIKA AND ANNATTO, ACETIC ACID, YEAST EXTRACT, JALAPENO POWDER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VINEGAR SOLIDS, LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE), BROWN SUGAR, CARAMEL COLOR, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, DEFATTED WHEAT GERM, MOLASSES POWDER, SOY SAUCE POWDER (WHEAT, SOYBEANS, SALT), MILKFAT.

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