ramen

95
Safe
Safety Score (out of 100)

Contains 1 flagged ingredient

ramen receives a safety score of 95/100 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
5038128001574
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed

What the Data Says About

ramen carries a composite safety score of 95/100, 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 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, ramen 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 ramen
Metric Value Source
PlainFoodSafe Score 95/100 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
Enriched Wheat Flour
2
Wheat Flour Niacin
3
Reduced Iron
4
Thiamine Mononitrate
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
5
Riboflavin
COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
GRAS
6
Folic Acid
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT
Approved
7
Vegetable Oil
8
The Following: Canola
9
Cottonseed
10
Palm
11
Preserved By Tbhq
12
Salt
Flavoring
Cut Back
13
Dehydrated Vegetables
14
Corn
15
Carrot
16
Onion
17
Garlic
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
18
Chive
19
Maltodextrin
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, HUMECTANT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT, TEXTURIZER
Safe GRAS
20
Msg
21
Textured Soy Protein
22
Sugar
Sweetener
Cut Back
23
Chicken Fat
24
Cooked Chicken
25
Natural Flavors
26
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
27
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
28
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
29
Dehydrated Soy Sauce
30
Wheat
31
Soybeans
32
Spices
33
Celery Seed
34
Yeast Extract
35
Potassium Carbonate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, LEAVENING AGENT, NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
36
Sodium Carbonate
ANTIOXIDANT, CURING OR PICKLING AGENT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, PROCESSING AID
GRAS
37
Disodium Guanylate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
Approved
38
Disodium Inosinate
FLAVOR ENHANCER, STABILIZER OR THICKENER
Approved
39
Sodium Hexametaphosphate
FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT
GRAS
40
Sodium Tripolyphosphate
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, HUMECTANT, PH CONTROL AGENT, SEQUESTRANT, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, TEXTURIZER
GRAS
41
Turmeric
42
Silicon Dioxide
ANTICAKING AGENT OR FREE-FLOW AGENT, ANTIOXIDANT, COLOR OR COLORING ADJUNCT, DRYING AGENT, EMULSIFIER OR EMULSIFIER SALT, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, HUMECTANT, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT
Safe GRAS
43
Anti-caking Agent
44
Caramel Coloring
Caution Approved (color additive, GRAS)
45
Monosodium Phosphate
46
Lactose
FLAVOR ENHANCER, FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT, FORMULATION AID, LUBRICANT OR RELEASE AGENT, MALTING OR FERMENTING AID, NUTRITIVE SWEETENER, OXIDIZING OR REDUCING AGENT, SOLVENT OR VEHICLE, STABILIZER OR THICKENER, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT
Certain People Should Avoid GRAS
47
Soy
48
A Bioengineered Food Ingredient. Han Inc. Irvine
49
Ca 92618 Made In U.s.a. O Maruchan
50
Inc. 2021s Www.maruchan.com

Full Ingredient List

enriched wheat flour (wheat flour niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, cottonseed, palm) preserved by tbhq, salt, dehydrated vegetables (corn, carrot, onion, garlic, chive), maltodextrin, contains less than 2% of: monosodium glutamate, textured soy protein, sugar, chicken fat, powdered cooked chicken, natural flavors, hydrolyzed corn protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, hydrolyzed soy protein, dehydrated soy sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), spices (celery seed), yeast extract, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, turmeric, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), caramel color, monosodium phosphate, lactose. contains wheat, soy, and milk ingredients. manufactured in a facility that also processes crustacean shellfish products. contains a bioengineered food ingredient. han inc. irvine, ca 92618 made in u.s.a. o maruchan, inc. 2021s www.maruchan.com

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