Avoid

Heater Meals EX Plus

by Heater Meals

Scores 45/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis - 3 flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 0792564960165

The verdict

Heater Meals EX Plus by Heater Meals scores 45/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 88 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 3 ingredients are flagged for caution. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination; check official notices and the product label for current decisions.

45/100
Avoid safety score
3
flagged ingredients of 88 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
0792564960165
Barcode (UPC/EAN)

Computed directly from OpenFoodFacts ingredient data cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. See our methodology for the scoring formula.

What the Data Says About Heater Meals EX Plus

Heater Meals EX Plus by Heater Meals carries a composite safety score of 45/100, which we classify as "Avoid" 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. This score is a transparent derived index we compute from that public data, not an official FDA rating or endorsement; see the Methodology page for the exact weighting.

Our scan identified 3 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, Heater Meals EX Plus 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 Heater Meals EX Plus
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 45/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 3 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.

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 19,967 products we've scored in the Meals category, the average safety score is 95.1/100. Heater Meals EX Plus scores 50.1 points below that category average (45/100 vs. 95.1/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Water
2
Organic Tomatoes In Juice
3
Tomatoes
4
Tomato Juice
5
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
6
Calcium Chloride
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, ENZYME, FIRMING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, FUMIGANT, HUMECTANT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING
GRAS
7
Vegetarian Pizza Crumble
8
Soy Protein Concentrate
9
Canola Oil
10
Spices
11
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
12
Autolyzed yeast extract
Flavoring
Certain People Should Avoid
13
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
14
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
15
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
16
Onion Powder
17
Natural Flavor
18
Red Bell Pepper
19
Thiamine Hydrochloride
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
20
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
21
Niacinamide
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
22
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
23
Vitamin B6
24
Cyanocobalamine
25
Vitamin B12
26
Calcium Pantothenate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
27
Ferric Orthophosphate
28
Zinc Oxide
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
29
Carrots
30
Crushed Tomatoes
31
Soybeans
32
Organic Pasta
33
Semolina Wheat
34
Egg White
35
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
36
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
37
Iron
38
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
39
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
40
Organic Onions
41
Or Less Of The Following: Kidney Beans
42
Corn Starch
43
Kale
44
Parmesan Cheese
45
Pasteurized Milk
46
Cheese Culture
47
Enzymes
48
Olive Oil
49
Vegetable Flavor
50
Yeast Extract
51
Corn Syrup Solids
52
Flavoring
53
Onion
54
Carrot
55
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
56
Wheat
57
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
58
Spice
59
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
60
Oleoresin Paprika
61
Chili Pepper
62
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
63
Artificial Flavors
64
Fd&c Yellow #5 & #6
65
And Red #40
66
Crisp Rice
67
Rice Flour
68
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
69
Isolated soy protein
Other
Safe
70
Calcium Caseinate
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FORMULATION AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Approved
71
Organic Cocoa
72
Glycerin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
73
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
74
Natural Flavors
75
Dicalcium Phosphate
76
Soy Lecithin
77
Ascorbyl Palmitate And Mixed Tocopherols
78
To Protect Flavor
79
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
80
Natural & Artificial Flavor
81
Includes Color
82
Red 40
Avoid Approved (certified color)
83
Blue 1
Caution Approved (certified color)
84
Potassium Citrate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT
GRAS
85
Sodium Citrate
86
Potassium Phosphate
87
Sodium Phosphate
88
Calcium Phosphate

Full Ingredient List

WATER, TOMATOES IN JUICE (TOMATOES, TOMATO JUICE, CITRIC ACID, CALCIUM CHLORIDE), VEGETARIAN PIZZA CRUMBLE (WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, CANOLA OIL, SPICES, SALT, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, SUGAR,, DEHYDRATED GARLIC, CARAMEL COLOR, ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVOR, RED BELL PEPPER, THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), CYANOCOBALAMINE (VITAMIN B12), CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, ZINC OXIDE), CARROTS, CRUSHED TOMATOES, SOYBEANS, PASTA (SEMOLINA WHEAT, EGG WHITE, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), ONIONS, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF THE FOLLOWING: KIDNEY BEANS, CORN STARCH, KALE, PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), OLIVE OIL, VEGETABLE FLAVOR (YEAST EXTRACT, SUGAR, SALT, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, NATURAL FLAVORING, DRIED ONION, DRIED CARROT, SOY SAUCE [SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT], DRIED GARLIC, SPICE), GARLIC, SUGAR, SPICE, SALT, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, CHILI PEPPER., SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, FD&C YELLOW #5 & #6, AND RED #40, CORN SYRUP, CRISP RICE (RICE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT), MALTODEXTRIN, ISOLATED SOY PROTEIN, CALCIUM CASEINATE, CANOLA OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), GLYCERIN, FRUCTOSE, NATURAL FLAVORS, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, SOY LECITHIN, ASCORBYL PALMITATE AND MIXED TOCOPHEROLS (TO PROTECT FLAVOR)., SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR [INCLUDES COLOR (RED 40, BLUE 1)], POTASSIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE

Categories

Meals Microwave meals

Data Sources

Data as of May 2026. 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.

Product data from Open Food Facts; additive safety from the FDA SAFFA inventory and CSPI Chemical Cuisine. See our methodology for details. Compiled by PlainFoodSafe

Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Product figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts, FDA SAFFA, and CSPI Chemical Cuisine data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2026.