Beef stew

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Beef stew 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
0681131149310
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
5 ONZ (140 g)

What the Data Says About

Beef stew 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, Beef stew 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 Beef stew
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
Cooked Beef
2
Beef
3
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
4
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
5
Sodium Lactate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
6
Onion Powder
7
Garlic Powder
8
Black Pepper
9
Natural Beef Flavor
10
Natural Flavor
11
Beef Fat
12
Bay Leaf
13
Worcestershire Powder
14
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
15
Worcestershire Sauce
16
Distilled Vinegar
17
Molasses
18
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
19
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
20
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
21
Spices
22
Tamarind
23
Sulfiting Agents
ANTIOXIDANT
GRAS
24
Sulfites
Preservative
Certain People Should Avoid
25
Silicone Dioxide
26
Gravy
27
Water
28
Organic Beef Broth Concentrate
29
Dried Beef Stock
30
Yeast Extract
31
Modified Food Starch
32
Corn
33
Mushroom Broth Concentrate
34
Mushroom Concentrate
35
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
36
Portobello Mushroom
37
Thyme
38
Dehydrated Parsley
39
Sage
40
Carrots
41
Organic Onions
42
Celery

Full Ingredient List

Cooked beef (beef, cornstarch, salt, sodium lactate, onion powder,garlic powder, black pepper, beef flavor [natural flavor, salt, beef fat], bay leaf, worcestershire powder [maltodextrin, worcestershire sauce [distilled vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, tamarind, natural flavor, sulfiting agents (contains sulfites)], silicone dioxide]), gravy (water, beef broth concentrate [beef stock, natural flavor, salt, yeast extract, sugar, beef fat], modified food starch [corn], mushroom broth concentrate [mushroom concentrate, natural flavor, sugar, salt, yeast extract, xanthan gum], caramel color, portobello mushroom, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme, parsley, sage, bay leaf), carrots, onions, celery.

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