Safe

Cheese Quesadilla

by Taco Bell

Scores 100/100 on FDA SAFFA + CSPI ingredient analysis , with no flagged ingredients identified.

Barcode 2000000150655 · Serving size 1 quesadilla

The verdict

Cheese Quesadilla by Taco Bell scores 100/100 in PlainFoodSafe's ingredient screening. We compared its 72 labeled ingredients with FDA SAFFA regulatory records and CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings; 0 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.

100/100
Safe safety score
0
flagged ingredients of 72 analyzed
Group 4
Ultra-processed
2000000150655
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 Cheese Quesadilla

Cheese Quesadilla by Taco Bell carries a composite safety score of 100/100, 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. 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 did not identify any ingredients in this product that FDA SAFFA or CSPI Chemical Cuisine data flags as requiring caution or avoidance at the time of analysis. That is a meaningful clean-label signal, though it does not account for personal allergens, regional recalls, or inspection findings not reflected in federal additive databases. The per-ingredient breakdown below shows the source-level classification for each component.

On the NOVA processing scale, Cheese Quesadilla 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 Cheese Quesadilla
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 100/100 FDA SAFFA + CSPI composite
Flagged ingredients 0 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 94,909 products we've scored in the Snacks category, the average safety score is 87.4/100. Cheese Quesadilla scores 12.6 points above that category average (100/100 vs. 87.4/100), so it is a comparatively strong pick for shoppers screening within that category specifically, rather than against the product catalog as a whole.

Ingredient Safety Analysis

1
Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour
2
Malted Barley Flour
3
Water
4
Shortening
5
Interesterified Soybean Oil
6
Soybean Oil
7
Cottonseed Oil
8
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
9
Leavening
10
Baking Soda
11
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
12
Yeast
13
Sorbitan Monostearate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Safe Approved
14
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
15
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
16
Dough Conditioners
17
Mono - And Diglycerides
18
Fumaric Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe Approved
19
Sorbic Acid
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Safe GRAS
20
Enzymes
21
Wheat Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
22
Calcium Carbonate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LEAVENING AGENT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MASTICATORY SUBSTANCE, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
23
Sodium Metabisulfite
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DOUGH STRENGTHENER, FLOUR TREATING AGENT, FREEZING OR COOLING AGENT, DIRECT CONTACT, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT
GRAS
24
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
25
Corn Starch
26
Dicalcium Phosphate
27
With Tocopherols
28
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
29
Calcium Propionate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT
Safe GRAS
30
Molasses
31
Organic Low-moisture Part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
32
Cheddar Cheese
33
Monterey Jack
34
American Cheese
35
Cultured Milk
36
Part-skim Milk
37
Cream
38
Sodium Citrate
39
Jalapeno Peppers
40
Sodium Phosphate
41
Lactic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE
Safe GRAS
42
Color Added
43
Annatto
Coloring
Certain People Should Avoid
44
Paprika Extract
45
Anticaking Agents
46
Potato Starch
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
47
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
48
Cellulose
Emulsifier
Safe
49
Soybean Oil
50
Vinegar
51
Buttermilk
52
Spices
53
Egg Yolk
54
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
55
Chili Powder
56
Natural Flavors
57
Onion Powder
58
Paprika
59
Minced Onion
60
Garlic Powder
61
Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali
62
Onion
63
Glucono-delta-lactone
64
Modified Food Starch
65
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
66
Potassium Sorbate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
67
Sodium Benzoate
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FUMIGANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
68
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
69
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
70
Propylene Glycol Alginate
EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, PROCESSING AID, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, SURFACE-FINISHING AGENT
Approved
71
Acetic Acid
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT
Safe GRAS
72
Calcium Disodium Edta

Full Ingredient List

Bleached Enriched Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Water, Shortening (Interesterified Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil), Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Yeast [yeast, Sorbitan Monostearate, Ascorbic Acid]), Sugar, Dough Conditioners (Mono - And Diglycerides, Fumaric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Enzymes, Wheat Starch, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Cellulose, Corn Starch, Dicalcium Phosphate, With Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid), Calcium Propionate, Molasses, Low-moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Monterey Jack, American Cheese (Cultured Milk, Part-skim Milk, Water, Cream, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Jalapeno Peppers, Sodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Color Added, Annatto, Paprika Extract, Enzymes), Anticaking Agents (Potato Starch, Cornstarch, Powdered Cellulose), Soybean Oil, Water, Vinegar, Jalapeno Peppers, Buttermilk, Spices, Egg Yolk, Dextrose, Chili Powder, Salt, Natural Flavors, Sugar, Onion Powder, Paprika, Minced Onion, Garlic Powder, Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali, Dried Onion, Glucono-delta-lactone, Modified Food Starch, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Lactic Acid, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Citric Acid, Acetic Acid, Calcium Disodium EDTA

Categories

Dairies Fermented foods Fermented milk products Snacks Cheeses Salty snacks Breaded products Breaded cheeses Cheese croquettes Quesadilla

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.