Shrimp and grits

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Shrimp and grits 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
0761088803142
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (204 g)

What the Data Says About

Shrimp and grits 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, Shrimp and grits 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 Shrimp and grits
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
Grits
2
Water
3
Half & Half
4
Milk
5
Cream
6
Sodium Citrate
7
Disodium Phosphate
8
Cheddar Cheese
9
Cultured Pasteurized Milk
10
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
11
Enzymes
12
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
13
Corn Starch
14
Cultured Dextrose
15
Shrimp
16
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
17
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
18
Andouille Sausage
19
Pork
20
Spices
21
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
22
BHA
Avoid GRAS
23
Bht And Citric Acid Added To Protect Flavor
24
Bacon
25
Turbinado Sugar
26
Seasoning
27
Cultured Celery Juice Powder
28
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
29
Organic Onions
30
Yellow Bell Pepper
31
Green Bell Pepper
32
Red Bell Pepper
33
Unsalted Butter
34
Pasteurized Cream
35
Flavorings
36
Unbleached Wheat Flour
37
Wheat Flour
38
Malted Barley Flour
39
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
40
Iron
41
Thiamin Mononitrate
42
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
43
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
44
Chicken Broth Concentrate
45
Chicken Broth
46
Flavoring
47
Cooked Vegetables
48
Carrot
49
Celery
50
Onion
51
Onion Powder
52
Turmeric
53
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
54
Worcestershire Sauce
55
Distilled White Vinegar
56
Molasses
57
Anchovies
58
Organic Cloves
59
Tamarind Extract
60
Chili Pepper Extract
61
Guajillo Chili Powder
62
Pectin
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
63
Low Methoxyl Amidated Pectin
64
Disodium Diphosphate
65
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
66
Tricalcium Phosphate
67
Paprika

Full Ingredient List

Grits (water, half & half [milk, cream, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate], grits, cheddar cheese [cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, annatto], corn starch, cultured dextrose, salt), shrimp (shrimp, sodium bicarbonate, salt, citric acid), water, andouille sausage (pork, water, salt, spices, sugar, bha, bht and citric acid added to protect flavor), bacon (pork, water, salt, turbinado sugar, seasoning [cultured celery juice powder, sea salt]), onions, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, unsalted butter (pasteurized cream, natural flavorings), unbleached wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), cultured dextrose, chicken broth concentrate (chicken broth, sea salt, flavoring, cooked vegetables [carrot, celery, onion], onion powder, turmeric), garlic, salt, worcestershire sauce (distilled white vinegar, molasses, sugar, water, salt, onions, anchovies, garlic, cloves, tamarind extract, natural flavorings, chili pepper extract), guajillo chili powder, pectin (low methoxyl amidated pectin, disodium diphosphate, dextrose, tricalcium phosphate), paprika.

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