Carbonara penne pasta

85
Caution
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

Carbonara penne pasta 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
0859225007000
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed
Serving Size
1 cup (300 g)

What the Data Says About

Carbonara penne pasta 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, Carbonara penne pasta 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 Carbonara penne pasta
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
Cooked Pasta:
2
Pasta - Durum Wheat Semolina-
3
Water
4
Sunflower Oil
5
Natural Vegetable Fiber
6
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
7
Acidity Regulator: Lactic Acid
8
Sunflower Lecitine
9
Flavouring
10
. Carbonara Sauce:
11
Cream
12
Cream And Less Then 2% Of Carrageenan
13
Mono-diglycerides
14
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
15
Gum
16
Plysorbate 80
17
Pancetta 4%
18
Pork
19
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
20
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
21
Spices
22
Sodium Nitrite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROPELLANT
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
23
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
24
Eggs
25
Whole Eggs
26
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
27
To Preserve Color
28
Grated Parmesan Cheese
29
Part Skimmed Pasteurized Cow's Milk
30
Cheese Cultures
31
Rennet
ENZYME, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
32
Cornstarch
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, DRYING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS

Full Ingredient List

Cooked pasta: (pasta - durum wheat semolina-, water, sunflower oil, vegetable fiber, salt, acidity regulator: lactic acid, sunflower lecitine, flavouring). carbonara sauce:(cream (cream and less then 2% of carrageenan, mono-diglycerides, cellulose, gum, plysorbate 80)), water, pancetta 4% (pork, salt, dextrose, sodium erythorbate, spices, sodium nitrite, garlic), eggs (whole eggs, citric acid (to preserve color) 2%, grated parmesan cheese (part skimmed pasteurized cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, rennet), modified cornstarch, salt, flavouring).

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