Pork kartinas

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Pork kartinas receives a safety score of 90/100 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
0079893003474
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (200 g)

What the Data Says About

Pork kartinas carries a composite safety score of 90/100, 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 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, Pork kartinas 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 Pork kartinas
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 90/100 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
Pork Carnitas
2
Seasoned Pork And Binder Product
3
Pork
4
Water
5
Canola Oil
6
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
7
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
9
Sodium Phosphates
10
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
12
Potassium Phosphates
13
Cola Syrup
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Phosphoric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
Cut Back GRAS
16
Caffeine
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
17
Natural Flavors
18
Seasoning
19
Corn Syrup Solids
20
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
21
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
22
Orange Juice Solids
23
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
24
Spices
25
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
26
Vinegar Solids
27
Corn Starch
28
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
29
Salted Butter
30
Cream
31
Red Rice
32
Enriched Parboiled Rice
33
Organic Long Grain Rice
34
Iron Phosphate
35
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
Thiamin Mononitrate
37
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
38
Tomatoes
39
Onion
40
Tomato Sauce
41
Organic Tomato Puree
42
Red Pepper
43
Onion
44
Natural Flavor
45
Chicken Base
46
Chicken Meat Including Chicken Juices
47
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
48
Potato Flour
49
Flavoring
50
Dry Whey
51
Carrot Powder
52
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
53
Serrano Pepper
54
Cultured Dextrose
55
Cilantro

Full Ingredient List

Pork carnitas (seasoned pork and binder product [pork, water, canola oil, tapioca starch (modified tapioca starch, carrageenan, sodium phosphates), sea salt, caramel color, potassium phosphates], water, cola syrup [water, sugar, caramel color, phosphoric acid, caffeine, natural flavors], seasoning (corn syrup solids, maltodextrin, dehydrated garlic, orange juice solids, salt, spices, citric acid, vinegar solids, modified corn starch, malic acid, natural flavors], salted butter [cream, salt]), red rice (water, enriched parboiled rice [long grain rice, iron phosphate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid], tomatoes, onion, tomato sauce [tomato puree, salt, red pepper, dehydrated onion, dehydrated garlic, natural flavor, citric acid], chicken base [chicken meat including chicken juices, autolyzed yeast extract, potato flour, salt, flavoring, dry whey, sugar, carrot powder], canola oil, garlic, serrano pepper, cultured dextrose, sea salt, cilantro).

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