Concern

Macaroni & cheese bites

by Stop & Shop

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0688267125621 · Stop & Shop · Frozen foods. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0688267125621 · Serving size 4 piece (81 g)

The verdict

Macaroni & cheese bites by Stop & Shop scores 50/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 70 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 2 ingredients are flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 70-component record, beginning with Macaroni, Water, Enriched Semolina. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

50/100
Concern safety score
2
Few flagged · of 70 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
D
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

38/100

Grade F

Ingredient Safety

50/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

D

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

67125621 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Macaroni & cheese bites label screening desk

SCORE-CONC 50/100 FLAG-FEW 2 flagged LEN-DENSE 70 ing. REG-SPARSE 29% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-D Nutri-D RANK-SHORT Len top 5% LEAD-FLAG Yellow 6 PHOTO-FINISH Giant, sport liquid · ±0 BOOK-OFF …125621 · July 2026

20 of 70 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Yellow 6). Source sheet 67125621 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: Giant, sport liquid water enhancer, grape · Nearest score peer is Giant, sport liquid water enhancer, grape at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

This label lands in the third of four positions on the published scale. What separates that position from its neighbours is arithmetic rather than judgement: identical inputs run through the documented weighting always arrive at the same place. Anyone who works the calculation through by hand, using the methodology write-up together with the itemised ratings further down, will reproduce this number exactly — which is the reason for publishing a computed figure instead of an opinion.

This label falls in the fourth Nutri-Score band. The model arrives there when its penalty terms — energy density, sugars, saturated fat, sodium — carry more weight in the calculation than the fibre, protein and produce content it credits. The band covers a wide span of the points scale, so position within it is not visible from the letter alone. The grade reflects the declared nutrition panel and is unrelated to the additive ratings listed below, which come from different bodies applying different criteria.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Macaroni & cheese bites: 50/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Macaroni & cheese bites50/1002. Giant, sport liquid water enhancer, grape: 50/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Giant, sport liquid water…50/1003. Butterscotch Buttons Hard Candy: 50/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Butterscotch Buttons Hard…50/1004. Spearmint Leaves Candy: 50/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Spearmint Leaves Candy50/1005. Soft Peppermints Sweet Striped Mint Candy: 50/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Soft Peppermints Sweet St…50/100
Nearest cross-brand screening scores for Macaroni & cheese bites (50/100 on 70 parsed ingredients).
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Macaroni & cheese bites
50/100
Giant, sport liquid water enhancer, grape
50/100
Butterscotch Buttons Hard Candy
50/100
Spearmint Leaves Candy
50/100
Soft Peppermints Sweet Striped Mint Candy
50/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 24,982 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 92.9/100. Macaroni & cheese bites scores 42.9 points below that category average (50/100 vs. 92.9/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Frozen foods products

Macaroni & cheese bites lists 70 ingredients on its label

70 95th percentile a longer ingredient list than 95% of the 7,008 products we track

0–2: 11 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 66 products (1%). Below this entry. 8–10: 102 products (1%). Below this entry. 10–12: 112 products (2%). Below this entry. 12–14: 184 products (3%). Below this entry. 14–16: 205 products (3%). Below this entry. 16–18: 245 products (3%). Below this entry. 18–20: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 20–22: 264 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 298 products (4%). Below this entry. 24–26: 247 products (4%). Below this entry. 26–28: 271 products (4%). Below this entry. 28–30: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 30–32: 294 products (4%). Below this entry. 32–34: 325 products (5%). Below this entry. 34–36: 319 products (5%). Below this entry. 36–38: 314 products (4%). Below this entry. 38–40: 283 products (4%). Below this entry. 40–42: 2,792 products (40%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Frozen foods product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

7,008 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 70 (95th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
11 products (0%)
2–4
54 products (1%)
4–6
54 products (1%)
6–8
66 products (1%)
8–10
102 products (1%)
10–12
112 products (2%)
12–14
184 products (3%)
14–16
205 products (3%)
16–18
245 products (3%)
18–20
284 products (4%)
20–22
264 products (4%)
22–24
298 products (4%)
24–26
247 products (4%)
26–28
271 products (4%)
28–30
284 products (4%)
30–32
294 products (4%)
32–34
325 products (5%)
34–36
319 products (5%)
36–38
314 products (4%)
38–40
283 products (4%)
40 and above
2,792 products (40%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 7,008 Frozen foods products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 50/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (2 flagged of 70 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Macaroni
2
Water
3
Enriched Semolina
4
Durum Wheat Semolina
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Thiamin Mononitrate
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Enriched Wheat Flour
11
Wheat Flour
12
Pasteurized Process Cheddar Cheese
13
Cheddar Cheese
14
Milk
15
Cheese Culture
16
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
17
Enzymes
18
Milkfat
19
Sodium Phosphate
20
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
21
Artificial Color
22
Vegetable Oil
23
Soybean
24
Canola Oil
25
Reduced Iron
26
Yellow Corn Flour
27
Or Less Of Annatto Extract
28
Color
29
Buttermilk Powder
30
Cheese Powder
31
Whey
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FORMULATION AID, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
32
Buttermilk Solids
33
Cheeses
34
Granular And Cheddar
35
Whey Protein Concentrate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
36
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
37
Yellow 5
Avoid Approved (certified color)
38
Yellow 6
Avoid Approved (certified color)
39
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
40
Enzyme
41
Cheese Sauce Mix
42
Dehydrated Blend Of Cheese
43
Semisoft And Cheddar Cheeses
44
Corn Starch
45
Cellulose Gum
46
Butter
47
Cream
48
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
49
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
50
Onion
51
Leavening
52
Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
53
Sodium Bicarbonate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
GRAS
54
Monocalcium Phosphate
55
Natural And Artificial Cheese Flavor
56
Natural Cheddar Cheese Flavor
57
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
58
Bacterial Cultures
59
Natural And Artificial Flavor
60
Buttermilk
61
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
62
Cheese Flavor
63
Cultured Whey
64
Natural Flavor
65
Nonfat Milk
66
Paprika Extract
67
Spices
68
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
69
Turmeric Extract
70
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Macaroni (water, enriched semolina [durum wheat semolina, ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), water, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), pasteurized process cheddar cheese (cheddar cheese [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, milkfat, sodium phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, salt, artificial color), vegetable oil (soybean and/or canola oil), enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, contains 2% or less of annatto extract (color), buttermilk powder, cheese powder (whey, buttermilk solids, cheeses [granular and cheddar {pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}], whey protein concentrate, salt, sodium phosphate, citric acid, yellow 5, yellow 6, lactic acid, enzyme), cheese sauce mix (dehydrated blend of cheese [semisoft and cheddar cheeses {pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes}], modified corn starch, whey, salt, cellulose gum, butter [cream, salt], sodium phosphate, silicon dioxide, lactic acid, citric acid, yellow 5, yellow 6), citric acid, dried garlic, dried onion, lactic acid, leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), modified corn starch, natural and artificial cheese flavor (cheddar cheese flavor [milk, maltodextrin, bacterial cultures, salt, enzymes, natural and artificial flavor], buttermilk, whey, autolyzed yeast extract, cheese flavor [milk, bacterial cultures, salt, enzymes], cultured whey, salt, cream), natural flavor, nonfat milk, paprika extract (color), salt, spices, sugar, turmeric extract (color), wheat starch, whey, whey protein concentrate.

Other products containing Semisoft And Cheddar Cheeses

Semisoft And Cheddar Cheeses is the least common ingredient on this label, appearing in 5 products across the catalog. See its safety profile.

Categories

Frozen foods

Mid-score cross-brand comparables for Macaroni & cheese bites

Neighbours outside Stop & Shop near Macaroni & cheese bites's mid-band score (50/100). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Stop & Shop; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Yellow 6 is the first flagged ingredient selected from Macaroni & cheese bites's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 70-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Yellow 6. Open Yellow 6
  • Compare Macaroni & cheese bites's 2 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0688267125621: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.