Hickory smoked beef brisket with bbq sauce, roasted corn and creamy mac & cheese

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Hickory smoked beef brisket with bbq sauce, roasted corn and creamy mac & cheese receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0078742351766
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PACKAGE (340 g)

What the Data Says About

Hickory smoked beef brisket with bbq sauce, roasted corn and creamy mac & cheese carries a composite safety score of 80/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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 2 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, Hickory smoked beef brisket with bbq sauce, roasted corn and creamy mac & 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.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Composite safety metrics for Hickory smoked beef brisket with bbq sauce, roasted corn and creamy mac & cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Macaroni And Cheese
2
Water
3
Elbow Macaroni
4
Semolina {Wheat}
5
Egg Whites
6
Cheddar Cheese
7
Milk
8
Cheese Cultures
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Enzymes
11
Light Cream
12
Cream
13
Butter
14
Monterey Jack Cheese
15
Cheese Culture
16
Parmesan/romano Cheese Blend
17
Parmesan And Romano Cheese Blend {Pasteurized Cow's Milk
18
Enzymes}
19
Rice Flour
20
Corn Starch
21
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
22
Spices
23
Annatto Seed Powder
24
Roasted Corn
25
Fully Cooked Sliced Brisket
26
Beef
27
Seasoning
28
Rice Starch
STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Listed
29
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
30
Yeast Extract
31
Dried Beef Stock
32
Beef Fat
33
Onion Powder
34
Barley Malt Extract
35
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
36
Garlic Powder
37
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
38
Vegetable Oil {Soybean Oil}
39
Potassium Lactate
FLAVOR ENHANCER
GRAS
40
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
41
Beet Powder
42
Smoke Flavoring
43
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
44
Bbq Sauce
45
Tomato Paste
46
Vinegar
47
Modified Food Starch
48
Molasses
49
Pineapple Juice
50
Corn Syrup
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, TEXTURIZER
Cut Back GRAS
51
Natural Smoke Flavor
52
Spice
53
Tamarind
54
Natural Flavor
55
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
56
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

Full Ingredient List

Macaroni and cheese (water, elbow macaroni [semolina {wheat}, egg whites], cheddar cheese [milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes], light cream [milk, cream], butter [cream, salt], monterey jack cheese [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], parmesan/romano cheese blend [parmesan and romano cheese blend {pasteurized cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes}], rice flour, corn starch, sea salt, spices, annatto seed powder), roasted corn, fully cooked sliced brisket (beef, water, seasoning [corn starch, rice starch, salt, sugar, yeast extract, beef stock, beef fat, onion powder, barley malt extract, dehydrated garlic, garlic powder, dextrose, salt, vegetable oil {soybean oil}, potassium lactate, sodium bicarbonate, beet powder, smoke flavoring, sodium nitrite]), bbq sauce (sugar, water, tomato paste, vinegar, modified food starch, salt, molasses, pineapple juice, corn syrup, natural smoke flavor, spice, garlic powder, tamarind, natural flavor, caramel color, xanthan gum).

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