Caramel & Cheese Gourmet Popcorn, Caramel & Cheese

by Nora's

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Caramel & Cheese Gourmet Popcorn, Caramel & Cheese by Nora's 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
0691036680221
Nutri-Score
e
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1/3 cup (28 g)

What the Data Says About

Caramel & Cheese Gourmet Popcorn, Caramel & Cheese by Nora's 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, Caramel & Cheese Gourmet Popcorn, Caramel & 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 E 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

Composite safety metrics for Caramel & Cheese Gourmet Popcorn, Caramel & Cheese
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 E OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Popcorn
2
Coconut Oil With Beta Carotene
3
Cheese
4
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
5
Reduced Lactose Whey
6
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
7
Canola Oil
8
Natural Flavor
9
Cheddar Cheese
10
Cultured Milk
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Enzymes
13
Natural Blue Cheese Flavor
14
Disodium Phosphate
15
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
16
Artificial Color
17
Including Yellow 6
18
Silicone Dioxide Added As An Anti-caking Agent
19
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
20
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
21
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
22
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
23
Tbhq And Citric Acid
24
Added As An Antioxidant
25
Artificial Flavor
26
Fd&c Yellow #5 Lake

Full Ingredient List

Popcorn, Coconut Oil With Beta Carotene, Cheese (Whey, Reduced Lactose Whey, Maltodextrin, Canola Oil, Natural Flavor), Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Natural Blue Cheese Flavor, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6), Silicone Dioxide Added As An Anti-Caking Agent, Lactic Acid, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Salt, Caramel Color, Tbhq And Citric Acid (Added As An Antioxidant), Artificial Flavor, Fd&C Yellow #5 Lake E102

Categories

Snacks

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