Caution

Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese

by Gardein

Open Food Facts label for barcode 0874267008778 · Gardein · Frozen foods. Screening numbers and flags live in the verdict band below. This hero only situates the source record.

Barcode 0874267008778 · Serving size 1 bowl (255 g)

The verdict

Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese by Gardein scores 85/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 48 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 1 ingredient is flagged for caution. The source parser split this into a very long 48-component record, beginning with Water, Cooked Enriched Pasta, Durum Wheat Semolina. That density can include amounts and label fragments, so verify the physical label before relying on ingredient order or completeness. This is not a recall, allergy, medical, or dietary-safety determination.

85/100
Caution safety score
1
One flagged · of 48 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
C
Nutri-Score nutrition grade

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

Composite profile score

One verdict from three independent sources

60/100

Grade C+

Ingredient Safety

85/100

FDA/CSPI flagged-ingredient screening

Processing Level

NOVA 4

Ultra-processed foods

Nutrition Grade

C

Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition grade

Weighted 50% ingredient safety / 25% processing level / 25% nutrition grade. A dimension with no data for this product (common: source coverage is partial) is dropped and its weight redistributes across the remaining dimensions, so missing data never silently lowers the score. See the full benchmark table.

67008778 · Open Food Facts · July 2026

Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese label screening desk

SCORE-CAUT 85/100 FLAG-ONE 1 flagged LEN-DENSE 48 ing. REG-PART 33% reg. NOVA-G4 G4 ultra NUTRI-C Nutri-C RANK-MID Len top 25% LEAD-FLAG Fructose PHOTO-FINISH PROTEIN CRISP · ±0 BOOK-OFF …008778 · July 2026

16 of 48 parsed ingredients carry FDA SAFFA or CSPI coverage (lead: Fructose). Source sheet 67008778 · Open Food Facts · July 2026. The screening score and flag counts are in the verdict band above. This desk is the provenance stamp, not a second scorecard. Methodology · Read with nearest score peer: PROTEIN CRISP · Nearest score peer is PROTEIN CRISP at the same screening score.

Screening model notes

How Nutri-Score, NOVA, and list length read this record

The composite for this product falls in the second band of the four-tier framework. That band collects labels whose registry-rated components pull the derived score down measurably without dominating it. Position inside a band is not visible from the band name, and two labels sharing it can differ in how many components were rated and how severely. This is a threshold on an index computed here from public data, not a regulatory classification of any kind; the exact cut-offs are published on the methodology page.

Nutri-Score settled on its middle grade here, the band the algorithm produces when the penalty and credit sides of its nutrient ledger come out close to balanced. A mid-scale grade is a statement about the panel as a whole rather than about any single nutrient, and products arrive at it by very different routes: a moderate profile across every term, or high marks on some offset by heavy penalties on others. The grade is computed separately from the ingredient screen below and the two are not comparable measures.

The declared list is among the longer ones in this catalogue. A component set this wide means the screen returns many individual ratings, and the composite accumulates a large number of small contributions instead of turning on a handful of entries. At this length the per-component table below is substantially more informative than the single figure, because the figure compresses a great deal of variation into one number.

Cross-brand screening score neighbourhood

1. Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #11. Plant Based Fried Chick’n…85/1002. PROTEIN CRISP: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #22. PROTEIN CRISP85/1003. Tesco Free From Angel Slices 5 Pack: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #33. Tesco Free From Angel Sli…85/1004. Nablus cheese: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #44. Nablus cheese85/1005. Ziyad, chicken and beef meat lunch: 85/100 · 100% of the leader · rank #55. Ziyad, chicken and beef m…85/100
High-band neighbours for Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese (85/100) outside Gardein.
Chart values as text

Unit: PlainFoodSafe screening score out of 100. Data current as of July 2026.

Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese
85/100
PROTEIN CRISP
85/100
Tesco Free From Angel Slices 5 Pack
85/100
Nablus cheese
85/100
Ziyad, chicken and beef meat lunch
85/100

How It Compares to Its Category

Among the 24,982 products we've scored in the Frozen foods category, the average safety score is 92.9/100. Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese scores 7.9 points below that category average (85/100 vs. 92.9/100), so it is a comparatively weaker pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient-list length vs other Frozen foods products

Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese lists 48 ingredients on its label

48 75th percentile a longer ingredient list than 75% of the 7,008 products we track

0–2: 11 products (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 54 products (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 66 products (1%). Below this entry. 8–10: 102 products (1%). Below this entry. 10–12: 112 products (2%). Below this entry. 12–14: 184 products (3%). Below this entry. 14–16: 205 products (3%). Below this entry. 16–18: 245 products (3%). Below this entry. 18–20: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 20–22: 264 products (4%). Below this entry. 22–24: 298 products (4%). Below this entry. 24–26: 247 products (4%). Below this entry. 26–28: 271 products (4%). Below this entry. 28–30: 284 products (4%). Below this entry. 30–32: 294 products (4%). Below this entry. 32–34: 325 products (5%). Below this entry. 34–36: 319 products (5%). Below this entry. 36–38: 314 products (4%). Below this entry. 38–40: 283 products (4%). Below this entry. 40–42: 2,792 products (40%). This entry sits in this band. This product 0 42 every published Frozen foods product, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Distribution as text

7,008 products, bucketed in bands of 2. This entry: 48 (75th percentile). Data current as of July 2026.

0–2
11 products (0%)
2–4
54 products (1%)
4–6
54 products (1%)
6–8
66 products (1%)
8–10
102 products (1%)
10–12
112 products (2%)
12–14
184 products (3%)
14–16
205 products (3%)
16–18
245 products (3%)
18–20
284 products (4%)
20–22
264 products (4%)
22–24
298 products (4%)
24–26
247 products (4%)
26–28
271 products (4%)
28–30
284 products (4%)
30–32
294 products (4%)
32–34
325 products (5%)
34–36
319 products (5%)
36–38
314 products (4%)
38–40
283 products (4%)
40 and above
2,792 products (40%)

Source Open Food Facts, product label ingredient lists · July 2026

Ingredient-list length is a descriptive property of the label, not a safety rating. A longer list is not automatically worse and a shorter one is not automatically better; the count is shown so the label can be placed against a comparable population. The comparison here runs against the 7,008 Frozen foods products we publish with a parsed label, not against the whole catalogue, because list length varies far more between categories than within one.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

How the 85/100 score is built

Screening starts at 100 and subtracts severity-weighted FDA SAFFA / CSPI flags (1 flagged of 48 labeled). The floor is 0 when deductions exceed 100.

1
Water
2
Cooked Enriched Pasta
3
Durum Wheat Semolina
4
Niacin
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Ferrous Sulfate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
6
Thiamin Mononitrate
7
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
8
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
9
Canola Oil
10
Enriched Wheat Flour
11
Wheat Flour
12
Reduced Iron
13
Thiamine Mononitrate Riboflavin
14
Vital Wheat Gluten
15
Soy Protein Isolate Modified Corn Starch
16
Pea Protein
17
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
18
Pea Protein Concentrate
19
Yeast Extract
20
Tapioca Starch
NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
GRAS
21
Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour
22
Textured Wheat Protein
23
Wheat Gluten
FIRMING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
24
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
25
Brown Sugar
26
Methylcellulose
27
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
28
Natural Flavors
29
Garlic Powder
30
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
31
Guar Gum
32
Spices
33
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
34
Onion
35
Fructose
Sweetener
Cut Back
36
Leavening
37
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
38
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
39
Paprika Extract
40
Color
41
Onion Powder
42
Titanium Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, HUMECTANT, PROCESSING AID, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT, TRACER
Avoid Prior Sanctioned
43
Annatto Extract
44
Potassium Hydroxide
FORMULATION AID, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, WASHING OR SURFACE REMOVAL AGENT
GRAS
45
Spice And Coloring
46
Paprika
47
Soy
48
Wheat

Full Ingredient List

WATER, COOKED ENRICHED PASTA (WATER, DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA [NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID]), CANOLA OIL, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), LESS THAN 2% OF: VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE MODIFIED CORN STARCH, PEA PROTEIN, SALT, PEA PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, YEAST EXTRACT, TAPIOCA STARCH, DEGERMINATED YELLOW CORN FLOUR, TEXTURED WHEAT PROTEIN (WHEAT GLUTEN, WHEAT STARCH, BROWN SUGAR, METHYLCELLULOSE, XANTHAN GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, GARLIC POWDER, LACTIC ACID, GUAR GUM, SPICES, CITRIC ACID, DRIED ONION, FRUCTOSE, LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BICARBONATE), PAPRIKA EXTRACT (COLOR), ONION POWDER, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (COLOR), ANNATTO EXTRACT (COLOR), POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, SPICE AND COLORING (CONTAINS PAPRIKA). CONTAINS: SOY, WHEAT.

Categories

Frozen foods Meals Pasta dishes Combination Meals Frozen ready-made meals

High-score cross-brand comparables for Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese

Neighbours outside Gardein with screening scores in the same high band as Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese (85/100 here). The 5 same-brand links above stay within Gardein; these peers cross brands.

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Follow the flagged-label evidence

Fructose is the first flagged ingredient selected from Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese's parsed label. Start with that ingredient’s source context, then compare the rest of this 48-ingredient record.

  • Inspect the FDA SAFFA and CSPI context attached to Fructose. Open Fructose
  • Compare Plant Based Fried Chick’n Mac & Cheese's 1 flagged ingredients with a product from the same score neighbourhood. Compare labels
  • Check how caution flags contribute to the derived screening score before drawing a dietary conclusion. Read the method

This page describes published ingredient-list and source coverage. It is not dietary or medical advice.

Barcode 0874267008778: product data from Open Food Facts (July 2026). Screening from FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine where attached. Figures are computed from those sources, not editor-typed. Methodology. Reference only, not dietary or medical advice.