Macaroni and cheese
Contains 1 flagged ingredient
Macaroni and cheese 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.
What the Data Says About
Macaroni and cheese 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, Macaroni and 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. The Nutri-Score grade of B 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
| 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 | B | OpenFoodFacts |
Composite metric derived from FDA SAFFA, CSPI Chemical Cuisine, OpenFoodFacts. See methodology.
Ingredient Safety Analysis
Full Ingredient List
Cheese sauce (water, reduced fat milk [milk, skim milk, condensed skim milk, vitamin a, vitamin d, process cheese [skim milk cheese {cultured skim milk, salt, enzymes}, cheddar cheese {cultured milk, salt, enzymes}, water, sodium citrate, natural cheddar flavor, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, guar gum, color {paprika, turmeric}], half & half [cream, milk], modified corn starch, sharp cheddar cheese flavor [cheddar cheese {pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes}, water, sodium phosphate, enzymes], cream flavor [maltodextrin, natural cream flavor], sodium phosphates [sodium hexametaphosphate, trisodium phosphate], salt, natural cheese flavor [cheddar cheese {cultured milk, salt, enzymes}, natural flavors, maltodextrin, water, salt, disodium phosphate], cheese flavor [cheddar cheese {milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}, whey, buttermilk solids, sodium phosphate, lactic acid, fd&c yellow color #5 & #6], yeast extract [yeast extract, salt], soy lecithin, annatto extract [propylene glycol, water, polysorbate 80, annatto color, potassium hydroxide], cayenne pepper), cooked enriched macaroni (water, enriched wheat flour [durum wheat semolina, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, niacin, ferrous sulfate, folic acid]).
Categories
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.
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