Tailgate Beef Meatballs

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Tailgate Beef Meatballs 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.

Barcode
0194346001699
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

Tailgate Beef Meatballs 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, Tailgate Beef Meatballs 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 Tailgate Beef Meatballs
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 Not available OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Fully Cooked Beef Meatballs
2
Beef
3
Water
4
Textured Soy Protein Concentrate
5
Soy Protein Concentrate
6
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
7
Eggs
8
The Following: Romano Cheese
9
Pasteurized Cow's And Sheep's Milk
10
Rennet
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Cheese Cultures
13
Enzymes
14
Onion
15
Natural Flavors
16
Corn Syrup Solids
17
Bread Crumbs
18
Wheat Flour
19
Sodium Phosphate
20
Grape Bbq Sauce
21
Tomato Paste
22
Vine Ripened Fresh Tomatoes
23
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
24
Grape Juice Concentrate
25
Grape And Pear Juice Concentrate
26
Natural Flavor
27
Malic Acid
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SYNERGIST
Safe GRAS
28
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
29
Vitamin C}
30
Yellow Mustard
31
Distilled Vinegar
32
Mustard Seed
33
Turmeric
34
Oleoresin Paprika
35
Spices
36
Apple Cider Vinegar
37
Cane Sugar
38
Brown Sugar
39
Kosher Salt
40
Worcestershire Sauce
41
Molasses
42
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
43
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
44
Anchovy
45
Fish
46
Soy
47
Tamarind Extract & Soy Lecithin
48
Liquid Smoke
49
Natural Hickory Smoke Concentrate
50
Egg
51
Anchovies
52
Milk
53
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

fully cooked beef meatballs (beef, water, textured soy protein concentrate [soy protein concentrate, caramel color], eggs, contains less than 2% of the following: romano cheese [pasteurized cow's and sheep's milk, rennet, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes), dehydrated onion, natural flavors, corn syrup solids, bread crumbs (wheat flour], soy protein concentrate, salt, sodium phosphate), grape bbq sauce (tomato paste [vine ripened fresh tomatoes, citric acid], water, grape juice concentrate (grape and pear juice concentrate, water, natural flavor, malic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin c}], yellow mustard (water, distilled vinegar, mustard seed, turmeric, oleoresin paprika, spices), distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, pure cane sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt, worcestershire sauce (distilled vinegar, molasses, water, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, sugar, spices, anchovy (fish), natural flavor (soy), tamarind extract & soy lecithin], liquid smoke (water, hickory smoke concentrate] spices). contains egg, anchovies, milk, soy, wheat

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