Tops NOVA 4

Bouillon cubes

Bouillon cubes: 3.8/5 ingredient safety

Bouillon cubes by Tops has 4 tracked ingredients, with an overall safety score of 3.8 out of 5, 0.32 points below the 4.12/5 average across all scored products, and 1 of its ingredient carries a low safety rating.

  • Safety score 0.32 points below the 4.12/5 average across all scored products
  • NOVA processing classification: group 4

Condiments / Dried products / Dried products to be rehydrated / Broths / Dehydrated broths / Bouillon cubes / Groceries

How This Score Is Built

This 1-5 scale is an editorially-derived index, not an official government rating -- it synthesizes FDA status, EU regulatory status, US state actions, and published research. For Bouillon cubes, 4 of its 4 tracked ingredients carry a scored rating so far, current as of 2026-09-07.

Data draws on Open Food Facts, FDA, and EU regulatory records -- cross-check with the FDA → directly, or read how we score it.

Where Bouillon cubes sits nationally

Average ingredient safety score vs. 58,710 other scored products in PlainIngredients

3.8 Top 84% higher than 16% of 58,710 scored products

Average ingredient safety score (1 = highest risk, 5 = safest), bucketed by value

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

Source PlainIngredients ingredient safety index · 2026-09-07

3.8
Low Risk
Average ingredient safety: 3.8 out of 5
Based on 4 tracked ingredients
4
Tracked Ingredients
1
Concerning
2
Low Risk / Safe
--
Nutri-Score
1 ingredient flagged for safety concerns

Ingredient Safety Breakdown

Processing Level

4
NOVA Group 4
Ultra-processed foods

Ultra-processed products are formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives. They typically contain ingredients not commonly used in home cooking.

Full Ingredients List

Salt, sugar, corn syrup solids, hydrolyzed soy protein, monosodium glutamate, contains less than 2% of: yeast extract, caramel color (contains sulfites), onion powder, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent), spices, sunflower oil, garlic powder, water, citric acid.

Compare beyond brand

Nationwide peers by additive safety & ingredient depth

Two PlainIngredients-derived comparison paths for Bouillon cubes: nearest mean mapped additive safety score and nearest mapped ingredient count among indexable products with at least 3 scored additives, excluding same-brand siblings. Scores describe regulatory and research signals on additives, not dietary advice.

Product Details

Brand
Tops
Barcode
0007078425400
NOVA Group
4 — Ultra-processed foods
Available In
United States

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Frequently asked questions

How does Bouillon cubes's safety score compare to other products?

Among the 58,710 PlainIngredients products with a scored ingredient list, Bouillon cubes's 3.8/5 average puts it in the lower 84%, 0.32 points below the 4.12/5 average across all scored products.

What's behind the 3.8/5 rating on Bouillon cubes?

PlainIngredients scores each ingredient 1 (highest risk) to 5 (safest) from FDA and EU regulatory status, then averages the scores of every ingredient this product lists that we could map. A 3.8/5 average places Bouillon cubes in the Low Risk tier.

Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.