Artisan mac and cheese

by Dan's Gourmet

90
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 2 flagged ingredients

Artisan mac and cheese by Dan's Gourmet receives a safety score of 90/100 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
0851461005055
Nutri-Score
d
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
4.5 ONZ (114 g)

What the Data Says About

Artisan mac and cheese by Dan's Gourmet carries a composite safety score of 90/100, which we classify as "Safe" 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, Artisan mac and 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 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 Artisan mac and cheese
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 90/100 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 Farfalle Pasta
2
Water
3
Semolina
4
Durum Flour
5
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Iron
7
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
8
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
9
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
10
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
11
Sausage
12
Pork
13
Habanero Peppers
14
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
15
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
16
Dehydrated Parsley
17
Black Pepper
18
Cream
19
Heavy Cream
20
Skim Milk
21
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
22
Polysorbate 80
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Caution Approved
23
Mono And Diglyceride
24
Pepperjack Cheese
25
Milk
26
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
27
Milk Protein Concentrate
28
Modified Food Starch
29
Milkfat
30
Gelatin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
31
Jalapeno Peppers
32
Sodium Phosphate
33
Vinegar
34
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
35
Cheese Culture
36
Enzymes
37
Cellulose Powder
38
Calcium Sulfate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
39
Red Bell Pepper
40
Swiss Cheese
41
Pasteurized Milk
42
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
43
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
44
Mild Cheddar Cheese
45
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
46
Panko Crumbs
47
Wheat Flour
48
2% Or Less Of The Following: Sugar
49
Yeast
50
Soybean Oil
51
Butter
52
Unsalted
53
Italian Seasoning
54
Oregano
55
Marjoram
56
Thyme
57
Rosemary
58
Sage

Full Ingredient List

Cooked farfalle pasta (water, semolina, durum flour, niacin, iron, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), sausage (pork, habanero peppers, garlic, salt, parsley, black pepper), cream (heavy cream, skim milk, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, mono and diglyceride), pepperjack cheese (milk, whey, water, milk protein concentrate, modified food starch, milkfat, gelatin, jalapeno peppers, sodium phosphate, salt, vinegar, lactic acid, cheese culture, enzymes, cellulose powder, calcium sulfate), red bell pepper, swiss cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, potato starch, powdered cellulose), mild cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto, potato starch, powdered cellulose), panko crumbs [wheat flour, 2% or less of the following: sugar, yeast, soybean oil, salt], butter (unsalted), modified food starch, salt, italian seasoning (oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, sage).

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