Bacon macaroni and cheese bites

80
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Bacon macaroni and cheese bites receives a safety score of 80/100 based on ingredient analysis using FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) data and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings. The product contains 2 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
0850821003410
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
4 PCS (85 g)

What the Data Says About

Bacon macaroni and cheese bites carries a composite safety score of 80/100, 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 2 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, Bacon macaroni and cheese bites 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 Bacon macaroni and cheese bites
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 80/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 2 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
Cooked Pasta
2
Water
3
Enriched Semolina
4
Durum Wheat Semolina
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
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
Bread
11
Wheat Flour
12
Cane Sugar
13
Yeast
14
Sea salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
15
American Cheese
16
Cultured Pasteurized Milk And Skim Milk
17
Buttermilk
18
Milkfat
19
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
20
Milk Protein Concentrate
21
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
22
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
23
Enzymes
24
Bacon
25
Salt Sodium Phosphates
26
Brown Sugar
27
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
28
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
29
Mozzarella
30
Pasteurized Organic Part Skim Milk
31
Cheese Cultures
32
Salt And Enzymes
33
Provolone Cheese
34
Pasteurized Milk
35
Cheese Culture
36
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
37
Anti-caking Agent
38
Romano Cheese
39
Milk
40
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
41
Vitamin C
42
And Vitamin D2
43
Tempura Flour
44
Bleached Wheat Flour
45
Rice Flour
46
Corn Starch
47
And Leavening
48
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
49
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
50
Monocalcium Phosphate
51
Eggs
52
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
53
Modified Food Starch
54
2% Or Less Of Cream
55
Carrageenan
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
Caution GRAS
56
Mono & Diglycerides
57
Parmesan Cheese
58
Asiago Cheese
59
Enzymes And Corn Flour/cellulose
60
White Wine
61
Butter
62
Pasteurized Cream
63
Enriched Wheat Flour
64
Reduced Iron
65
Malted Barley Flour
66
Corn Meal
67
Onion
68
Rice Starch
STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Listed
69
Whey Protein
70
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
71
Dehydrated Parsley
72
Red Pepper
73
Black Pepper. Breading Set In Soybean Or Canola Oil

Full Ingredient List

Cooked pasta (water, enriched semolina (durum wheat semolina, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), bread (wheat flour, natural cane sugar, yeast, sea salt), american cheese (cultured pasteurized milk and skim milk, buttermilk, milkfat, salt, milk protein concentrate, acetic acid, lactic acid, enzymes), bacon (water, salt sodium phosphates, brown sugar, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite), mozzarella (pasteurized part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt and enzymes), provolone cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, powdered cellulose (anti-caking agent), romano cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt and enzymes), milk (ascorbic acid, (vitamin c) and vitamin d2)), tempura flour (bleached wheat flour, rice flour, corn starch, and leavening (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate)), water, eggs (citric acid, water), modified food starch, 2% or less of cream (carrageenan, mono & diglycerides), parmesan cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt and enzymes), asiago cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes and corn flour/cellulose (anti-caking agent)), white wine, sea salt, butter (pasteurized cream, salt), enriched wheat flour (niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid) malted barley flour), corn meal, onion, rice starch, whey protein, garlic, parsley, carrageenan, red pepper, black pepper. breading set in soybean or canola oil.

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