Chef Salad

by Marketside

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Chef Salad by Marketside receives a safety score of 85/100 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
0681131389525
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
156 g (29 mL)

What the Data Says About

Chef Salad by Marketside carries a composite safety score of 85/100, which we classify as "Caution" 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, Chef Salad 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 Chef Salad
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 85/100 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
Romaine Lettuce
2
Buttermilk Ranch
3
Cultured Fat Free Buttermilk
4
Soybean Oil
5
Water
6
Eggs
7
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
8
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
9
Vinegar
10
Cultured Dextrose
11
Egg Yolk
12
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
13
Onion
14
Xanthan & Guar Gums
15
Lemon Juice From Concentrate
16
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
17
Spices
18
Food Starch-modified
19
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
20
Natural Flavor
21
Corn Syrup Solids
22
Turkey Breast
23
Or Less Of Sugar
24
Sodium Phophate
25
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
26
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
27
Potassium Lactate
FLAVOR ENHANCER
GRAS
28
Sodium Erythorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe GRAS
29
Ham With Natural Juices
30
Ham Cured With Water
31
Sodium Phosphate
32
Red Cabbage
33
Cheddar Cheese
34
Pasteurized Mlk
35
Cheese Culture
36
Enzymes
37
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
38
Vegetable Color
39
Potato Starch And Powdered Cellulose
40
To Prevent Caking
41
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
42
A Natural Mold Inhibitor
43
Carrot
44
Grape Tomatoes

Full Ingredient List

Romaine lettuce, buttermilk ranch (cultured fat free buttermilk, soybean oil, water, eggs, salt, sugar, vinegar, cultured dextrose, egg yolk, garlic, onion, xanthan & guar gums, lemon juice from concentrate, maltodextrin, spices, food starch-modified, autolyzed yeast extract, natural flavor, corn syrup solids), turkey breast (turkey breast, water, contains 2% or less of sugar, salt, sodium phophate, sodium diacetate, sodium nitrite, potassium lactate, sodium erythorbate), ham with natural juices (ham cured with water, contains 2% or less of sugar, salt, potassium lactate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, sodium phosphate), red cabbage, cheddar cheese (pasteurized mlk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto [vegetable color], potato starch and powdered cellulose [to prevent caking], natamycin [a natural mold inhibitor]), carrot, grape tomatoes.

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