Mac & Cheese Broccoli Cheddar

by Panera Bread

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Mac & Cheese Broccoli Cheddar by Panera Bread receives a safety score of 100/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. None of the ingredients in this product are flagged for safety concerns by FDA or CSPI databases. Product label data is sourced from the OpenFoodFacts collaborative database. See the full ingredient breakdown and safety assessment below.

Barcode
0077958562911
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
340g

What the Data Says About

Mac & Cheese Broccoli Cheddar by Panera Bread carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Mac & Cheese Broccoli Cheddar 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 Mac & Cheese Broccoli Cheddar
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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
Cooked Enriched Pasta
2
Water
3
Semolina
4
Wheat Flour
5
Egg Whites
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Broccoli
12
Cheddar Cheese
13
Pasteurized Milk
14
Cheese Culture
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Enzymes
17
Milk
18
Heavy Cream
19
Carrots
20
Canola Oil
21
Butter
22
Cream
23
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
24
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
25
Skim Milk
26
Milkfat
27
Sodium Citrate
28
Corn Starch
29
Cream
30
Nonfat Dry Milk
31
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
32
Acacia
33
Xanthan Gum
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Approved
34
Mustard Seed
35
Oleoresin Paprika
36
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
37
For Color
38
Distilled Vinegar
39
Nisin Preparation
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT
GRAS
40
Spices

Full Ingredient List

cooked enriched pasta (water, semolina, wheat flour, egg whites, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), broccoli, cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), milk, heavy cream, carrots, canola oil, butter (cream, salt), whey, whey protein concentrate, skim milk, milkfat, sodium citrate, corn starch, dried cream, nonfat dry milk, lactic acid, wheat flour, salt, acacia, xanthan gum, water, mustard seed, oleoresin paprika , annatto (for color), distilled vinegar, nisin preparation, spices

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