Caution

Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham

by Michelina's

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0717854105316 · Michelina's · Frozen foods. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0717854105316 · Serving size 8 ONZ (227 g)

The verdict

Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham by Michelina's scores 85/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 55 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 55-component record, beginning with Cooked Enriched Pasta, Water, 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.

85/100
Caution safety score
1
One flagged · of 55 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
C
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

60/100

Grade C+

Ingredient Safety

85/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

C

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.

54105316 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham label screening desk

SCORE-CAUT 85/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 55 ing. REG-PART 31% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-C Nutri-C RANK-SHORT Len top 16% LEAD-FLAG Sodium Nitrite PHOTO-FINISH Chicken bacon ranch · ±0 BOOK-OFF …105316 · July 2026

17 of 55 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Sodium Nitrite). Source sheet 54105316 · 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: Chicken bacon ranch grilled white chicken with rice, broccoli & bacon in a creamy ranch sauce, chicken bacon ranch · Nearest score peer is Chicken bacon ranch grilled white chicken with rice, broccoli & bacon in a creamy ranch sauce, chicken bacon ranch at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

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

The composite for this product falls in the second band of the four-tier framework. That band collects labels whose registry-rated components pull the derived score down measurably without dominating it. Position inside a band is not visible from the band name, and two labels sharing it can differ in how many components were rated and how severely. This is a threshold on an index computed here from public data, not a regulatory classification of any kind; the exact cut-offs are published on the methodology page.

Nutri-Score settled on its middle grade here, the band the algorithm produces when the penalty and credit sides of its nutrient ledger come out close to balanced. A mid-scale grade is a statement about the panel as a whole rather than about any single nutrient, and products arrive at it by very different routes: a moderate profile across every term, or high marks on some offset by heavy penalties on others. The grade is computed separately from the ingredient screen below and the two are not comparable measures.

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. Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Michelina's, macaroni & c…85/1002. Chicken bacon ranch grilled white chicken with rice, broccoli & bacon in a creamy ranch sauce, chicken bacon ranch: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. Chicken bacon ranch grill…85/1003. Bacon mac 'n' cheese: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Bacon mac 'n' cheese85/1004. Nacho potatoes with beef & bacon: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Nacho potatoes with beef …85/1005. Chili's, nacho potatoes with beef & bacon: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Chili's, nacho potatoes w…85/100
High-band neighbours for Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham (85/100) outside Michelina's.
Chart values as text

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

Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham
85/100
Chicken bacon ranch grilled white chicken with rice, broccoli & bacon in a creamy ranch sauce, chicken bacon ranch
85/100
Bacon mac 'n' cheese
85/100
Nacho potatoes with beef & bacon
85/100
Chili's, nacho potatoes with beef & bacon
85/100

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. Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham scores 7.9 points below that category average (85/100 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

Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham lists 55 ingredients on its label

55 84th percentile a longer ingredient list than 84% 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: 55 (84th 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 85/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (1 flagged of 55 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Cooked Enriched Pasta
2
Water
3
Semolina
4
Enriched With Niacin
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Ham-water Added
10
Cured With Water
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Potassium Lactate
FLAVOR ENHANCER
GRAS
13
Sodium Lactate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
14
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
15
Sodium Phosphate
16
Sodium Diacetate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
17
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
18
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
19
Half And Half
20
Milk
21
Cream
22
Ham With Natural Juices
23
Dextrose
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Cut Back GRAS
24
Or Less Of Lemon Juice Concentrate
25
Sodium Phosphates
26
Dried Vinegar
27
Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread
28
American Cheese
29
Pasteurized Milk
30
Cheese Culture
31
Enzymes
32
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
33
Milkfat
34
Sodium-alginate
35
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
36
Apocarotenal
37
Color
38
Cheddar Club Cheese
39
Cheddar Cheese
40
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
41
Margarine
42
Liquid And Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
43
Vegetable Mono And Diglycerides
44
Soy Lecithin
45
Natural And Artificial Flavor
46
Bha & Bht Added To Protect Flavor
47
Vitamin A Palmitate And Vitamin D3 Added
48
Less Than 2% Of Modified Food Starch
49
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
50
Yeast Extract
51
Seasoning
52
Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten
53
Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed And Soy Oils
54
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
55
Mustard Flour
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Cooked enriched pasta (water, semolina [enriched with niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid]), water, ham-water added (cured with water, salt, potassium lactate, sodium lactate, sugar, sodium phosphate, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), half and half (milk, cream), ham with natural juices (cured with water, dextrose, salt, contains 2% or less of lemon juice concentrate, sodium phosphates, vinegar, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), pasteurized process cheese spread (american cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, whey, sodium phosphate, contains less than 2% of milkfat, salt, sodium-alginate, lactic acid, apocarotenal [color]), cheddar club cheese (cheddar cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, salt, annatto [color]), margarine (liquid and hydrogenated soybean oil, water, salt, vegetable mono and diglycerides, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, bha & bht added to protect flavor, vitamin a palmitate and vitamin d3 added), less than 2% of modified food starch, maltodextrin, salt, yeast extract, seasoning (hydrolyzed corn gluten, yeast extract, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soy oils), xanthan gum, mustard flour, annatto (color).

Categories

Frozen foods

High-score cross-brand comparables for Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham

Neighbours outside Michelina's with screening scores in the same high band as Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham (85/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Michelina's; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Sodium Nitrite is the first flagged ingredient selected from Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 55-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Sodium Nitrite. Open Sodium Nitrite
  • Compare Michelina's, macaroni & cheese with ham's 1 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 0717854105316: 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.