Bacon mac 'n' cheese

by Chili's, Bellisio Foods Inc.

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Bacon mac 'n' cheese by Chili's, Bellisio Foods Inc. 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
0717854470124
Nutri-Score
c
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 PACKAGE (284 g)

What the Data Says About

Bacon mac 'n' cheese by Chili's, Bellisio Foods Inc. 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, Bacon mac 'n' 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 C 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 Bacon mac 'n' cheese
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 C OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Cooked Macaroni Product
2
Water
3
Semolina Enriched With Iron
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
7
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
8
Half And Half
9
Milk
10
Cream
11
Poblano Chili Peppers
12
Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese
13
Pasteurized Whole Milk
14
Cheese Culture
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Enzymes
17
Natural Smoke
18
Liquid
19
Cooked Bacon With Smoke Flavoring Added
20
Bacon
21
Cured With Water
22
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
23
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
24
. May Contain Natural Smoke Flavoring
25
Sodium Phosphate
26
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
27
Sodium Ascorbate
ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
GRAS
28
Pasteurized Process Cheese Spread
29
American Cheese
30
Pasteurized Milk
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
Milkfat
33
Sodium-alginate
34
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
35
Apocarotenal
36
Color
37
Less Than 2% Of Cheddar Club Cheese
38
Cheddar Cheese
39
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
40
Modified Food Starch
41
Canola Oil
42
Fully Cooked Bacon
43
Sodium Phosphates
44
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
45
Rendered Bacon Fat
46
Disodium Phosphate
47
Smoked Paprika
48
Paprika
49
Natural Smoke Flavor
50
Natural Cheese Flavors
51
Cheddar
52
Parmesan
53
And Limburger Cheese
54
Cultures
55
Nonfat Dry Milk
56
Whey Powder
57
Corn Starch
58
Natural Flavor
59
Alcohol
60
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
61
Spice

Full Ingredient List

Cooked macaroni product (water, semolina enriched with iron, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, half and half (milk, cream), poblano chili peppers, whole milk mozzarella cheese (pasteurized whole milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, smoke [liquid]), cooked bacon with smoke flavoring added (bacon [cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite]. may contain natural smoke flavoring, sodium phosphate, sodium erythorbate, sodium ascorbate), 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]), less than 2% of cheddar club cheese (cheddar cheese [pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], water, salt, annatto [color]), modified food starch, canola oil, fully cooked bacon (bacon [cured with water, salt, sugar, sodium phosphates, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite]), maltodextrin, rendered bacon fat, disodium phosphate, smoked paprika (paprika, natural smoke flavor), natural cheese flavors (cheddar, parmesan, and limburger cheese [milk, cultures, salt, enzymes], maltodextrin, water, nonfat dry milk, milkfat, whey powder, modified corn starch, natural flavor, disodium phosphate, salt, alcohol, xanthan gum), salt, xanthan gum, lactic acid, spice.

Categories

Frozen foods

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