Pizza, pepperoni

by Papa John's Salads & Produce

50
Concern
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 4 flagged ingredients

Pizza, pepperoni by Papa John's Salads & Produce receives a safety score of 50/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 4 ingredients 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
0782796024216
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 SLICE (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Pizza, pepperoni by Papa John's Salads & Produce carries a composite safety score of 50/100, which we classify as "Concern" 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 4 flagged ingredients 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, Pizza, pepperoni 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 D 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 Pizza, pepperoni
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 50/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 4 CSPI/FDA review
NOVA processing group Group 4 OpenFoodFacts
Nutri-Score D OpenFoodFacts

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

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Dough
2
Enriched Flour
3
Wheat Flour
4
Malted Barley Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Iron
7
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
10
Water
11
Whole Wheat Flour
12
Or Less Of Each Of The Fllowing: Yeast
13
Palm Oil
14
Honey
15
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
16
Soy Flour
17
Calcium Stearate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
18
Soy Lecithin
19
Natural Butter Flavor
20
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
21
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
22
Cellulose Gum
23
Guar Gum
24
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
25
Datem
Emulsifier
Safe
26
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
27
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
28
Malted Wheat Flour
29
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
30
Ascorbic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
31
Bakery Enzyme
32
Amylase
Flavoring
Safe
33
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
34
Tomato Sauce
35
Organic Tomato Puree
36
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
37
Spices
38
Garlic Powder
39
Cheese Blend
40
Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese
41
Pasteurized Part-skim Milk
42
Cheese Culture
43
Enzymes
44
Provolone Cheese
45
Pasteurized Milk
46
Cheese Cultures
47
Asiago Medium Cheese
48
Imported Romano Cheese
49
Pasteurized Sheep's Milk
50
Product Of France
51
Rice Flour And Cellulose Powder Added To Prevent Caking
52
Natamycin
FUMIGANT
Safe Approved
53
A Natural Mold Inhibitor
54
Pepperoni
55
Pork
56
Beef
57
Or Less Of Flavorings
58
Lactic Acid Starter Culture
59
Paprika
60
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
61
BHA
Avoid GRAS
62
BHT
Caution GRAS
63
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
64
Parmesan Cheese
65
Cultured Milk
66
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
67
To Prevent Caking
68
A Natural Mold Inhibitor

Full Ingredient List

Dough (enriched flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, whole wheat flour, contains 2% or less of each of the fllowing: yeast, palm oil, honey, wheat starch, soy flour, calcium stearate, soy lecithin, natural butter flavor, salt, sugar, cellulose gum, guar gum, xanthan gum, datem, wheat gluten, dextrose, malted wheat flour, sodium acid pyrophosphate, ascorbic acid, bakery enzyme (amylase, wheat starch, salt), caramel color), tomato sauce (tomato puree, salt, sugar, extra virgin olive oil, spices, garlic powder), cheese blend (low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), provolone cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), asiago medium cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), imported romano cheese (pasteurized sheep's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), product of france, rice flour and cellulose powder added to prevent caking, natamycin (a natural mold inhibitor)), pepperoni (pork, beef, salt, contains 2% or less of flavorings, lactic acid starter culture, dextrose, paprika, sodium nitrite, bha, bht, citric acid), parmesan cheese (cultured milk, enzymes, salt, cellulose (to prevent caking), natamycin (a mold inhibitor)).

Categories

Meals Pizzas pies and quiches Pizzas

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