Ricos, Flavored Popcorn, Spicy Cheddar

by Liberto Specialty Company Inc.

100
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Ricos, Flavored Popcorn, Spicy Cheddar by Liberto Specialty Company Inc. 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
0079426284561
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
2 cup (30 g)

What the Data Says About

Ricos, Flavored Popcorn, Spicy Cheddar by Liberto Specialty Company Inc. 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, Ricos, Flavored Popcorn, Spicy 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. The Nutri-Score grade of E 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 Ricos, Flavored Popcorn, Spicy 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 E OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Popcorn
2
Vegetable Oil
3
The Following: Corn And.or Soybean
4
Cottonseed Oil
5
Cheddar Cheese Seasoning:
6
Cheddar Cheese {
7
Pasteurized Milk
8
Cheese Cultures
9
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
10
Enzymes
11
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
12
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
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 Phosphate
15
Natural Flavor
16
Enzyme Modified Butterfat
17
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
18
Disodium Phosphate}
19
Including Butter
20
Modified Food Starch
21
Fd&c Yellow #5 Lake & Yellow #6 Lake
22
Whey Powder
23
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
24
And Less Than 2% Silicon Dioxide Added To Prevent Caking
25
Beta Carotene And Artificial Butter Flavor
26
Natural Extractive Of Chili Peppers

Full Ingredient List

Popcorn, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: corn and.or soybean and/or cottonseed oil), cheddar cheese seasoning: [cheddar cheese {(pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), whey protein concentrate, lactose, maltodextrin, salt, sodium phosphate, natural flavor, enzyme modified butterfat, citric acid, disodium phosphate}, maltodextrin, natural flavor (including butter), salt, modified food starch, fd&c yellow #5 lake & yellow #6 lake, whey powder, lactic acid, and less than 2% silicon dioxide added to prevent caking.], beta carotene and artificial butter flavor, natural extractive of chili peppers.

Categories

Snacks

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